Sometimes It's Just So
by MillenniumKitten
Summary: When the daughter of flame and the son of metal are thrown together in one room things fly and not everything is just so...right. As things fall into place they come to find that things in this world aren't as bad as they seem and perhaps things are just so. There doesn't need to be an explanation when everything just falls into place. I suck at sumaries so please read.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Worth**

**Disclaimer: I do not own FMA**

**Hey! Thanks for clicking. I've been working on this in my head for quite some time. So please enjoy and tell me what you think.**

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"Sitting in the chair and having it stay up is the first sign that you have skill…_boy._" Not that the man who addressed said boy ever thought that he wouldn't sit and address them as an alchemist. In fact he knew even before the boy had walked in that this boy was going to walk out of here an alchemist of the state. He already had his name picked out and everything.

Just being in the center with the only spotlight was irritating enough to fry eggs. In fact it was not only irritating it was nerve racking, anyone could be staring at him right now, judging him. It could be anyone, any renown alchemist could be watching as he just sat there.

It all changed with a simple knock. Two knocks in fact and a "Come in." from the one voice he did recognize. Everyone recognized that voice.

"I'm sorry that I'm late." A single light appears, like a cigarette lighter's flame it was the only thing penetrating the darkness besides the spotlight. The light comes closer and closer before a girl enters the spot light. With a quick breath she blows out the fire.

Finely lit the girl is clearly pretty but that is of no concern. It's almost eerie the way she handles herself as if the world owes her a really large favor, one that no one can repay. With a look to the boy her gaze turns into something of fascination but then quickly hardens into something feral.

"What?" He feels the need to ask.

"_What?_ You've shown us that you can sit now show us all that you don't need a chair to support you!" And with that she kicked the chair right out from underneath him not even wincing as her leg hits the hard alchemically reinforced metal. Naturally the boy is on his feet rearing back ready for a fight. "What is a man that needs the help of someone else to stand? I'll tell you what he is; he's a useless and dead man."

True is her words or at least half true; it all depended on the person. "If you're wondering if I need a chair to back me up then I'm telling you that I don't, but to be honest I wouldn't mind having someone like you to have my back."

She digests that for a moment and turns her attention back to the people she knew all too well.

_I see it now…_ The way that she carries herself was not only self-taught. To her, the world really does owe her something and she believes it, she _knows_ it. He should have noticed it right away due to the way she squares her shoulders, stares straight ahead, and speaks in a clear tone.

Plus her eyes, so brown that they look pure black. Beautiful and yet able to pin a snake to a wall with one look. "Linuette?" The Fuhrer asks.

"Will that be all? Or am I here for an actual reason?" She asks smugly. It was clear that this was all just a major waste of time; there was no need to test this boy. No need at all for he would make a loyal alchemist.

"Dismissed." The Fuhrer gives one last smile to her. There was only two reasons why he had her come here in the first place. One of which was just to prove that he could.

With a salute she turns on her sandals and walks out, closing the unseen door behind her.

"Zackary Elric," The Fuhrer's voice bounds off the walls, making it sound as if he was shouting instead of merely addressing the alchemist. "I look forward to seeing you later."

He was dismissed; he didn't see Linuette on his way out.

"Since you chose not to fill in a preferred department to be placed in then I have a special job for you." Mustang led his newly appointed alchemist through his mansion, keeping stride with the boy even though it was clear who was following who. "I'm placing you at the side of someone very close to me, someone I cherish. I trust that you'll protect them with your life."

"Sir." Zackary says. He didn't see what was so bad about Mustang, from the way his father talked it seemed like he was a total tyrant.

"I warn you though that she's a bit feisty, after all she does take after her father."

The door opens to reveal a girl bent over the arm of a couch reaching for a book which is being withheld from her by a man with black hair holding it just out of her reach. She's yelling at him to give it back while he stating that she shouldn't be filling her head with this romantic crap anyway.

"What I read is none of your business you jerk!" She reaches, stretching so that she's only on one foot. Her sandal falls off as she reaches. "Besides why do you care?" More stretching.

"My future wife does not need to be filling her head with nonsense!" The man smirks at her, only causing her scowl to deepen.

"What do you know?" She pouts. "I'll set your hair ablaze!"

"Ahem." Mustang clears his voice. It would have been one thing to walk in on them actually doing something, but this was just downright pathetic. "Linuette, Andromira."

"Hey!" With that she flings herself forward with one last burst of effort, her hand reaching out and grasping the book. She lies across Andromira's lap her face pressed firmly between his legs. Andromira pats her on the head a few good times.

"Good evening your grace. How can we be of…who the…" Andro's eyes flicker to the boy who stands slightly behind Mustang.

"Linuette, this is Zackary Elric."

"An Elric." Both of them say at once. Getting up onto her forearms, she takes a look at him and remembers him immediately as the boy from the last exams. "He's short…"

"I am not," Zack object immediately. He wasn't exceptionally short, taller than her in fact and he wasn't exactly short tempered like his infamously famous father. "Everyone else is merely really tall."

"Whatever makes your feelings less hurt." She shakes her head lightly. "Why have you brought him here father? I've already spoken to him and nearly knocked him on his ass. Is there really a reason for him to be here?"

"Of course there is. Linuette," Mustang gestures to Zack, prodding him forward. "From this day forward Zackary is assigned as your personal body guard."

_He means babysitter._ Linuette sighs to herself bitterly. She slightly wondered if all this power was going to her father's head. There was no way that she needed a babysitter after all she could look after herself and no one in their right mind would mess with her knowing who she is.

"Excuse me sir but I'm going to have to object," Andro places a hand on her head. She looks up at the dangling fingers quite literally considering biting them off. "You see she is my fiancé…perhaps we can find a female alchemist or maybe you'll consider allowing me to look after her."

"No," Mustang prods Zack forward by pushing his lower back forward. "While you're busy studying she runs off doing whatever it is that she does. It's not good for my image when I'm called down to-"

"Father please." Linuette begs.

Andro looks down at her. It's the first that he's heard of anything like this. "Excuse me?"

"There will be no objections from either of you. My decision is final."

"We'll see." Linuette says. She looks to Andro who is glaring at Zack since he wasn't allowed to glare at Mustang himself. For one he was the girl's father and he did run the entire military.

Linuette was a different story; she was born being told to judge everything but quietly. Just because she was the Fuhrer's only daughter didn't mean that she ruled the world. Even she has restrictions. "You can take him with you father, after all I don't get much alone time with-"

"You're to stay here and begin your job immediately. Wherever she goes, you go. In other words," Mustang smiles, Linuette pouts. "Welcome to your new home."

"Calling it my home is a little much." Zack tries to be modest. He had meant what he said to her that day in that little dark room where the only light source was from the spotlight and the little flame coming from her finger. "Sir." He salutes as Mustang walks out.

"I'm telling mom!" Linuette shouts after her father. When he stops frozen with shoulders rigid and rising it was her turn to smile sadistically. The mom card was as vicious card that they only used when absolutely necessary. Well…he used it that way, she used it whenever she didn't like a decision he had made.

After a moment, Mustang takes a deep breath and walks away. _Children..._

Zack stands there awkwardly, unsure of what to do now. She has a guest but her father told him to stay put, which honestly he didn't really want to do. This was her fiancé in the room after all.

"I suppose if I say your fired then you won't just leave." Linuette says. Zack wasn't sure if she was prompting an answer or not so he shook his head earning him a disproved look from Andromira.

Andro sighed, letting him know of his discomfort seeming as how he thought that Zack should care. He couldn't care less though. "Alright boy…whoever you are. I'm going to let you know right now that if I so much as see your eyes lingering longer then they should be on my Linuette then I'll set you ablaze-"

Before Zack could even get a chance to retort, Linuette smacks Andro on the knee and hisses at him. "Show some respect, this is Zackary Elric, or did you not hear father? You know, son of Edward Elric the FullMetal alchemist? Now let's not be stupid Andro, even you know that name. He only helped save Central. Now he sits next in line to become Fuhrer if father is ever killed in action."

"Wouldn't you be?" Zack asks. That would only make sense.

She shakes her head. "Nope. Don't have the requirements nor would I want such a job. I mean think about, the entire military rests in your hands. If a battle breaks out and you send the troops but they don't all come back…guess who's head that's on? I may not believe in God but if there is something up there I certainly don't want him to hate me for sending men to their deaths."

"So you don't like responsibility." Zack states bluntly and with a bit of annoyance.

She makes a gun with her fingers, closes one eye, and aims at him. "Bingo! Pow!" Her gun fires and yet nothing happens. Of course not.

"Well darling, as much as it pains me to leave you," Andro leans down to place a kiss on her forehead; she takes a nip at his nose. "Bad. I have to be going. Until my next visit."

"Oh I look forward to it." She rolls her eyes. _As if._ Egotistic men with lots of money were of absolutely no interest to her. Why would they be when she lives with one?

She didn't see him out.

"_He's_ your fiancé?" Zack asks just out of curiosity. It seemed completely one sided to Zack.

Linuette nods because it's true. "Yes. He. Is. Or at least he thinks he is and father seems to think he is as well. Wanna know why? Because he has money, power, and an excellent reputation."

"Don't you have all that?"

"Yes," She opens her book back up, lying on her stomach so that she could read comfortably. Her legs cross in the air. "But that's not enough for father. Just you wait I'll find a way out of this…my first plan happens to deal with killing him and burning his body so that they can't even get a read on him if they take his teeth! Nasty business it is, but effective nonetheless."

"Didn't he sputter off something about his fiancé reading mindless nonsense?"

"Do you want me to set your hair on fire?" She shoots back. "Mindless nonsense or not a girl can dream can't she?"

"About?"

"A decent guy who isn't pompous, egotistic, or expects something out of nearly everything he does."

"You can't expect perfection." Zack tries. Linuette shrugs. She begins to act as though he had never spoken; in fact she acts as if he isn't even here. "It just doesn't exist."

"Your right, it doesn't and that is why I want it. I don't want someone to be perfect," She states, turning her page. "I want someone willing to strive for perfection for me. Andromira has a pretty face and my father's favor but that's about it. He might as well be my brother."

"We'll see if you're worth trying for." He takes a spot on the wall, opening up a book of his own choice. Like his father, he enjoyed reading. Knowledge was power after all.

"I'm not," Linuette tosses her book to the ground, allowing her arm to dangle there as she lounges. With a yawn she says "Or at least not yet I'm not."

He wanted to ask if she was going to change that, and if she was then what was her plan to do so. Except that she was already dozing off. Based on what he's witnessed for the hour and half he's known her he figured that she was going to do whatever she wants whenever she wants no matter what the consequence may be.

Being the daughter of Mustang…he wondered how much she had inherited. Mustang was known for being strong, successful, and arrogant. He could wipe out many men with just a snap of his fingers, or cut down an officer with mere words. He was cunning and quick.

Was she the same?

Guess he'd find out in a few hours.

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**Thanks for reading. For those who aren't accustomed to my writing and my situation I'll tell you now that I update once a week because I don't have internet. So please be patient because it's probably worth the wait. Thanks for reading once more and review! It only takes ONE to keep me going ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own FMA**

**Here's the seconds chapter! I thank you for staying for another chapter ^^ really I appreciate it.**

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**Chapter 2: Cross-Dress Tribulations**

"Oh crap…Linuette!" Zack jerks up in a very unorganized and inelegant way. Instantly he's on his feet remembering his King's words to be with her at all times. "Linuette! Lin-"

"Will you stop shouting?" From out of a nearby door, Linuette walks into the room dressed in jeans and a loose white t-shirt. She ties back her sweeping black hair with a leather strap. "If you want to wake up before me I suggest anywhere from six am and eight am or else. I'm an early riser Zack, oh and don't set an actual alarm or you may wake up later to find it mysteriously shut off."

"…"

"My last 'baby sitter' lasted two months. I was impressed to be honest considering how I set his uniform ablaze." She titled her head slightly to the left remembering that day. He had told her 'no' for the last time and so she snapped her fingers and walah. Instant fire! The sight of him rolling around on the ground was nice; it was in fact rather amusing. A soldier must be ready for anything after all.

"…" Zack didn't feel the need to comment. He figured that if he were to say what he was thinking then she'd laugh at him.

"Okay so onto the basics since father didn't tell you I might as well. Your allowed to use anything at your disposal, anything you do can be covered up, oh and feel free to take money as you need it as long as it: helps you keep living, keeps me out of trouble, or fixes something I did." She looks herself over in the full length mirror. "Do I look common enough?"

"If you're asking if you look like a boy, then no."

"Damn." She goes back in what he guessed was her closet. "Also father is not liable for anything I happen to do to you because you won't be able to prove that I did that. For example, that soldier whose uniform I burned. He smokes, so naturally I proclaimed that he caught himself on fire."

"…"

"It's a shame because he's a nice man. I feel horrible…and now I don't. Anyhoo…how about this?" She walks back out wearing boots now, an overlarge t-shirt, and flaring jeans.

"You're still a girl."

"…" She sighs and heads back in her closet, this time Zack feels the need to follow. It's a huge room all to itself filled with all sorts of uniforms, disguises, and dresses. He picks out a black baseball style hat and sticks it on her head. "Hat…" She remarks smartly.

Zack rolls his eyes. "Stuff your hair under it. Pin it if you like…it's really-"

"I'll just cut it." She decides.

"I'm pretty sure that would displease your father." Zack sighs.

Linuette shrugs. "Only to my shoulders I promise. Besides who cares, I just want to try something different."

"By cross-dressing?"

"I call it…exploring the other sex. Anyway," She heads out of the closet and into yet another room. When Zack followed he found a pure white room lined with bright blue wash rugs. Towers and wash clothes were blue along with her soap bottles. "See it's not so bad." She balls up her hair taking a look at what it could be.

"Have you ever cut your hair before?"

"Nope but I'm dying to try." Without much warning at all she takes the scissors and lobs off the end of her pony tail. It falls limp in her hands leaving a shoulder length silky uneven mess. "…"

"Give me the scissors."

"Why? You don't know how to cut-"

He takes them anyway and begins to snip. It wasn't that he cut hair very often, his mother often did so due to his father's long hair. Every once and awhile she tackle him to the floor, straddle him, and begin cutting like crazy to get it even and to the length that she wanted. His resistance was clearly futile for with every struggle she would plant his face in the floor and continue cutting.

Zack learned a thing or two. Granted it wouldn't be perfect, but it wasn't horrible. "Look a little better?"

"Hmmm…take a little more…yeah that looks nice. Thank you. Now with a cap over my head and a larger shirt I may just look like a boy." She fluffed her hair. With her long hair she looked elegant now she looked…almost cute. Her hair spiked out haphazardly at the ends in thick black strands. She didn't look anything like Mustang's daughter aside from the eyes and hair color now.

Linuette could be anyone.

"Dare I ask why you want to look like a boy?" Zack raises an eye brow.

Linuette snaps a finger. "I'm delighted you asked! I want to go to bars."

"Bars…are you serious?"

Linuette nods, a bit confused by why he would asking such a question. The reason was so obvious that it was nearly painful for the girl. "Yes bars. I want to be able to enjoy popcorn and a drink while listening to music without getting hit on by puke smelling men. The only way to do that is dress like a boy."

"Or go to the bar with a boy." Zack sighs.

Another nod. "Yes but you see, if I went to the bar with you then it would seem as if I was actually with you." Which she downright refused to do while dressed as a female. He may be the son of a world known alchemist but that didn't mean much to her. "Let's go, as a male then."

"Someday you won't mind being seen with me."

"We'll see about that Mr. Elric. We'll see if you even really want to be seen with me. For now let's go! Bro…" She added awkwardly. Her eyes shifted back and forth at the oddness of the word that is bro. Zack actually cracked a smile to that.

"Let's get going you goof." He gestures for her to go on her own which she does. "And don't hold your head so high. You're acting like a snooty rich brat."

"Well you see Zack, I _am_ a snooty rich brat."

"Would have never guessed."

"You should pay more attention then." She twisted around and walked backwards to smile at him coyly. "And you should assert yourself a little more. I mean with a little more out there-ness like your father, you could accomplish things. I mean right now you're just going along with whatever I want, no one has ever done that…why are you doing that Mr. Elric?"

Her intrigued face…it interested him. In a way it was cute, but in another way she was like a cat ready to bat at anything he waved in front of her heart shaped face. "Because I want to see where you're going. Where we'll eventually end up."

"Uh huh…I hope that you can keep up." She turned back around and marched straight for the front door only to be stopped by a military boot pressed firmly against the door frame. She looked down at the leg thinking about hopping it.

"Ahem, you little lady aren't going to anywhere," A puff of smoke rose to the ceiling as the man talked. "Except straight to your study room."

"Not cool bro!" Linuette crossed her arms sharply. Her voice lowered a great deal some trying to sound like a man and failing horribly. "I ain't no lady!"

"Knock it off Linuette." Zack rubs his face.

The soldier smirks, looking both amused and yet horrified at the same time. "Does she really think she's fooling anyone? Does she honestly think that's how we talk?"

"I thought you ran off." Linuette hisses.

Havoc smirks. "I don't think so. No, your father pulled me out before you did any more damage to one of his loyal soldiers. You must be the new meat, well Princess here is supposed to be in her study room studying-"

"Don't listen to this fool." Linuette sits on his extended leg. "I can skip my lessons whenever I please and do you want to know why? Because I am Linuette Mustang and if anyone has skill it's me. So whenever I choose to go and study some elements that I can recite to you backwards, forwards, and alphabetically, then I will."

"Well then," Zack pulls her to her feet, turns her, and then pushes her towards her study. "While we're studying then you can recite the elements anyway you want. Sir, if you could write me her weekly schedule then I would be eternally grateful."

"Eh? Hey no, this is unfair. You follow _my_ orders not the other-"

"Actually I follow your father's orders."

…

"This isn't over Elric oh and you," She cranes to point a stern finger at Havoc. "When I find you again you are so screwed do you hear me? I will barbecue you!"

"Yeah, yeah." Havoc waves.

"See aren't you glad that you studied first? Now you can enjoy your popcorn even more." Zack smirks. She's popping them up into the air and catching them in her mouth with ease. As much fun as this was it was also rather neat.

"I agree to disagree for honestly I could care less. The popcorn isn't stale and so you are saved." She pops another one using her thumb. The way he smiles at her made her want to smile back. Instead she flicks one towards him, hitting him right in the forehead.

It lands in his lap, forever lost. "Could care less huh?"

"Well…shut up. Who says that I have to be immature all the time? I do study you know? In fact I am a studying machine."

"You're very different from the first time we met."

"Oh…when I knocked you on your ass?"

"You did not!" Zack takes a sip of his soda. "You insulted me and told me to prove you wrong. I will."

"Hmmm…" She popped another piece. Hmmm could mean anything and that in itself was irritating. She watched him watching her to the point where popcorn was more interesting than his handsome face.

"Hey can we sit?" Two very lovely ladies in crimson dresses walked up to their table with their little no doubt fruity drinks. They were looking eagerly at Linuette…not so much Zack. As insulting as this was Zack was actually amused by this fact.

"Yeah." He gestured for them to sit.

"This is Lila and I'm Lily."

"Like the flower?" Linuette tried. She had forgotten to turn on the boy charm.

"Yeah!" Lily agreed eagerly. "You're cute." She grabbed Linuette's arm.

This posed as a potential problem. She needed that arm for popcorn tossing. "Thank you…popcorn?"

"Oh!" Lily caught on immediately. She picked up a piece and offered it to Linuette who accepted it happily.

"So what are your names?" Lila asked eagerly.

"My name?" She hadn't thought of a fake name before now. "You can call me Zack."

"Zack? That's kind of manly for a cute guy like you."

"You don't say?" Linuette looks to the real Zack who is slowly shaking his head.

"And you?" Lily asked.

"Andromira, Andro for short if you'd please." Zack looks to Linuette who smiles for real. She couldn't believe that, he was quite interesting.

"That's a unique name." Lily comments.

Zack shrugs. "The ladies like unique."

"Oh gag him." Linuette has to stop herself from laughing. "So which is better? Unique or manly?"

"Good question…I guess manly."

"Definitely manly." They both smile at Linuette who is kicking herself in her head.

She gives Zack a look whose smile has widened even more. "I am so going to hear about this later."

"Probably." Zack agrees.

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**A little short but I hope that you enjoyed it! See you all next week**

**Hey read and review 3**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own FMA and I do not own More than This  
**

**You'll see ^^ and sorry for the ultra late update. Summer has started and I have way too much crap to be doing -_-" it saddens me that I can't find the time to type because I enjoy it so.**

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**Chapter 3: Bathroom Windows, Singing, and then there is Life**

"Linuette…you can stop trying to climb out the bathroom window I'm right here."

The girl's shoulders rise slightly. She hadn't expected to hear that of all things. Zack was good…apparently better than she gives him credit for. "Well then Zack…I suppose there's something that you're going to say now."

"Yep." Zack crosses his arms.

"Or ask."

"You can be certain of it."

"I'll run…" She threatens on one hand. On the other hand. "And you'll catch me."

"More than likely."

"I'll spout off something about catching you ablaze and…" She admits her defeat.

"I won't listen to a word of it and drag you back into the study." Zack finishes.

"Exactly. See…you've only been here a week and yet you already know to look for windows in the bathroom…how is that?" She demanded. With a flourish she's in his face without actually having to be in his face because distance is appreciated. Then all at once her face changes from intrigued, to 'that damn man'. "Havoc! Where is he? I'm going to shave his head!"

"With what? You can't cut hair."

"Excuse me? I have yet to figure that out but that doesn't mean that I won't when I get my hands around his neck!" She could see it now, that nice prison shaved look on the handsome man's head. Now _that_ would be an adventure.

Her father had taken one look at her hair and sighed, while her mother told her that she was free to express herself and if that meant that she wanted to cut her hair then she could slice it six ways up and over if it pleased her. After all she had no huge rules to follow.

"So what's the plan for today?"

"Absolutely nothing. I think that I'm just going to lounge around on the couch and pretend that I'm doing something significant in this world. What about you?" Linuette reaches up on her tip toes to close the bathroom window.

Zack shrugs and rolls his eyes. "I'm going to watch you lounge on the couch and pretend that you're doing something significant in this world." He didn't realize that he had signed up to be a baby sitter when he signed his name to be an alchemist of the military. Although if one looked at it from face value then they would see an alchemist protecting the Fuhrer's only daughter.

"Now what was your _real_ plans?"

"…" She shrugged. She didn't _have_ a _real_ plan and that was what bugged her. Every once and awhile she would actually have to play by the rules due to the lack of creative ideas. Two days ago she had painted a mural with her hands on her wall, yesterday she had cleaned that mural, so today…

"Why don't we go to that bar you like…only this time you can go as an actual girl."

"…" Now _that_ might actually be nice. She felt much better with a man who knew to look for a bathroom window. "Yes…why not. Will you meet me there?"

"What part of 'I can't leave your side' do you not understand?" Zack sighs.

She smiles. "What if I gave you my word as the Fuhrer's daughter that I will be there."

"I can-"

"Take something of mine then. I mean anything, something that I'll want back just so you know that I'm coming back. I promise that I will…just meet me there okay."

"If you aren't there…I swear on my license that I will find you." Giving her a chance was something that he hadn't done yet. _She's never that hard to find anyway._

Right?

He waited.

And he waited.

And he waited some more.

They had decided on six o'clock and it was now riding on seven. Of course he had assumed that she was just going to be late but apparently that no longer mattered. She was late, but she was more than late and he had trusted her. How stupid.

"She is so dead when I find her." Zack decides. He knew that it was a horrible idea to even consider to trust that girl. She was witty, perceptive, and Mustang's daughter. His father had warned him about this…

"Introducing Linuette Rollander, she'll be playing us a tune tonight." The owner turned the spotlight onto a white classical piano, as elegant as the piano was it was nothing compared to its companion. Sitting on the piano bench is a stunning lady with long hosed legs that disappeared beneath a little black dress.

As soon as her long pale lace covered fingers touched the well-used keys, all the heads turned to take a look at the beautiful piano player.

_"Cradling stones, hold fire bright._

_As crickets call out to the moonlight."_

Linuette sang. She had a mike so that the people upstairs could hear the beauty that is her voice. Her voice was very mature and smooth. It had that ability to make even those who claimed to hate music look up and see. The ability to pull people in with only sound it was wonderful.

_"As you lean in to steal a kiss_

_I'll never need more than this."_

"Linuette." In the week that he's been with her he would have never guessed that she played the piano or could sing. The only vocal talent that she gave away was her ability to complain and worm her way out of situations that didn't go in her favor. He had never seen her look…so mature before.

_"But we all share the pain of our histories._

_But the ache goes away if you could see."_

She looked really lovely tonight. The short hair went well with her despite the fact that her hair was cut so that she could disguise herself as a boy. The two hadn't seen Lila and Lily since that night, she had expressed her desire to get rid of them the moment Lily had kissed her.

"Good kisser though." Linuette remarked, scrubbing her mouth with a wash cloth. She then proceeded to brush her teeth for the third time.

_"The night under stars, well, I call it peace._

If you say, I'll never need more than this."

Watching with the room as her lightly raven black hair ruffled with each sway of her body. He found that his eyes followed her each and every movement. She arched her back upward with a tasteful smile, playing through the next part her lips forming the words. _Who knew that she could sing?_

He had never heard of it before this. Not even from the times that he had heard of her before he joined the military. She was famous for running around and talking with the people of Central.

"That's…" Zack's gold eyes caught them immediately. They were across the room sipping on a light beer, three of them with Andromira sitting next to one of them. He had been the one to speak. "Linuette…my word she looks like a classy whore!" His buddy snickered, but Andro just shook his head. He couldn't believe that her father would let her out of the house looking like that. _What is he thinking?_

Clearly he was thinking that it would be okay since she had that sorry excuse for a man with her. Andro caught Zack's eyes immediately, the cold gold of Zack's eye were admirable. "That…" He couldn't put that into words.

_"Precious as a song._

_Cause someday we'll be gone."_

Linuette plays the last few keys with a playful attitude. She ends it with a beautiful note that not everyone could pull off. In the end when she stands up and turns around the crowd breaks out into cheer for she's beautiful. Made up like a doll Linuette's smile was perfection in itself.

So much so that Zack gave her a few claps and a smile that she caught. She didn't however; catch the nasty disproved looks that Andromira was giving her. She took a twirl before a light bow.

Honestly he hadn't seen her smile or have so much fun before.

"Hey!" She slides into the booth right across from him, taking a piece of popcorn in her lacy covered fingers. The ribbons on her wrist hung low, dragging onto the table. "Sorry that I didn't tell you…I mean I kind of wanted to surprise you and all…after all you have followed me around for a week doing everything that I want to do."

"Isn't that what I'm supposed to do?"

"Yes…sort of. Most of my baby sitters spent their time complaining about how stupid it was that I was hanging out in a local super market starring at people but you…" She leans forward, elbows on table, and chin in palms. "You…do that thing! Yes. You do that thing…you say stuff. Stuff that makes sense to me and makes me want to hear you talk more instead of shut you up. Must be the genius in you."

"Must be." Zack wasn't about to argue with that undeniable logic.

"Well you do. Deny it all you want Mister Smarty McSmart Smart." She takes his drink so that she can sip at it.

"Linuette."

"Oh shit." Was her brilliant answer. Swearing wasn't exactly her forte; she believed that it made one look unintelligent. Besides her father hardly swore so why should she?

"Oh shit is right young lady. Does your father know that your here?" Andro takes his stand with his buddies behind him. He had discarded his beer earlier. "What the heck are you doing here anyway?"

"It's all song and dance." She tries. "Besides what I do isn't any of your business."

"What? It certainly is my business-"

"Or rather it would be if you took as much interest in me as you do your buddies," Linuette looked to his so called buddies. They were eying her like kids do gumballs. "Take right now for instance, you're on break but you're not with me, or you wouldn't be if I hadn't happened to chance upon you on the most fortunate of nights."

"As if I had time to go and get you-"

Linuette nearly laughed once more. As smart as Andromira is, he can be pretty dumb at times. "Oh Andro, Zack met me here. I decided to meet up with him since honestly I didn't have anything else planned. How long does it take for you to pick up a phone and talk to me? As far as I'm concerned I'm with Zackary, not you."

"He's always with you because he's supposed to be, speaking of which," Andro looks to Zack who is sipping his soda allowing them to duke it out as they see fit. As long as Andro didn't make a move towards her then it was all alright. "You left her alone? What if something were to happen to her? Someone could attack her!"

"Then she'd set them ablaze." Was his immediate answer.

Linuette snaps her fingers and steals his soda. "That's it! That's the…the thing that you do!" With her hands she waves them about trying to get him to feel what she's feeling. To everyone else she was just a pretty girl waving her lacy hands around.

"They would say 'Hey I'm a thief' and she'd would look at them and say…" Zack looks to her.

She winks and her smile widens. "Hey wanna be a dead thief?"

"Oh ha ha. Nice comedy routine you two. Listen I've got to go but I'll stop by sometime next week until then," Andromira glares at Zack who's smiling at Linuette. She sips his soda graciously. "I'll leave my wife with you for now. See you later."

"Oh we'll both be there." Linuette waves at him as he leaves. "Oh and Zack…if you could disregard what he just said…I would be grateful. No one is leaving me with anyone."

"Your father left you with me." Zack says just to see what she says about that.

With a shake of her head she says "No Zack. If I didn't want you here then you wouldn't be here with me, not anymore. As if I'm going to just let someone I hate hang around me."

"What about Andromira?"

"I'm still thinking about that! One day he will rue that damn day…" Linuette sighs to herself. _If only I hadn't…_

"That day?" Zack asks feeling a story coming on. That was another thing about her. She always seems to have some story with anything and everything she does. She never does anything for nothing it always has a meaning behind.

"I don't feel like recalling it."

That only doubled his curiosity. Never had he heard _that_ come out of her mouth unless it had to do with something particularly nasty she had eaten. She had never denied him the knowledge of a story. Like his father's thirst for answers and knowledge, Zack thirsted for her stories each and every day. Like a reason why she would do something so ridicules as to dress up as a boy.

"May I…" She gestures for his soda.

"Just drink it." Zack slides it over trying to get her to smile again by smiling at her. This doesn't work though; she stirs the soda with the straw so that ice clanks against the glass.

"You know life is like an ice cube."

"…"

"Solid at first but then it just melts out from underneath you."

…

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**Does anyone else love that song? I sure do! Anyhoo I don't think I'll be having many if any more, with her singing. Double update due to my lack of updating. Sorry and thank you for sticking around! Read and review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own FMA**

**Hey! Thanks for continuing. I can't say that I'm thrilled with the chapter...in fact I'm a bit disappointed. I pray that my next chapter is a bit better to myself -_-" anyhoo I do hope that YOU at least enjoy this one! **

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**Chapter 4: She's Pretty**

"It's been four days since his nasty promise to be back…so that must mean…" Zack walked in on her speculating something. With a smile she waved him in even though he had already entered uninvited. Lately she had been drinking a lot of soda and not going out much. She kept saying something about plans and what not.

"Linuette?"

"Shhhhhh," She shushes him. "Aha! He'll be here today. Almost every time that wannabe smart guy has decided to visit…he's done it on a day like today! So that means…"

"That we're going out?"

"We are. Thank you Zack and your brilliance. I need to change!" Into the famous closet she goes, shutting the door behind her. "Hmmm…"

"Are you going to be a girl today?" Zack leans against the door.

"Ummm…yes. I want to be a girl today."

"I see…"

"Aha! Here they are." The door is shoved open. It doesn't exactly open right away so she hurls herself at the door. Naturally Zack opens the door for her so out she runs and Superman's it right onto her bed perhaps on purpose.

"Red?"

"Yes red. I've always wanted sexy red hair." Linuette fixes the wig in her hand. She would need to brush it out. "Also you're going to have to do something different as well. I mean what if Andro or one of his goons saw you? What if they recognized you and saw a pretty girl like me prancing next to you…what would they think?"

"That you're my partner or sister if you go blond."

She wrinkles her nose, he smiles. "Everyone is a blond."

"Everyone is a critic."

They both smile.

"Red is fiery, hot, and sexy. I'm going with red…you can stick with gold, Goldie Locks." Back into the bathroom. "Get me a pretty dress, something that will look good with my red hair."

Zack rolls his eyes. How did he go from 'alchemist' to 'fashionista'?

"Green?" Linuette has the wig on and to be honest it doesn't look too bad. On her bed is a long leaf green dress that flared just so. It was a pretty sundress. "Isn't that a bit contradicting?"

"You're contradicting-"

"You're about to get burned."

With hands up, Zack proceeded with much needed caution. "Listen. The way you act…it's exactly like fire burning across a forest. Unpredictable and yet beautiful in its own way."

She actually blushed, which was something he hadn't expected to ever see. In fact he wasn't sure if that was what she had actually done…he had to do a double take just to make sure he wasn't seeing things. By the time he went to look again she was back in the bathroom with the door shut, the dress gone.

A few moments and she was out looking like a pretty lady. Her fiery red wig was tied back with a green ribbon. "I like it…I'm going to add some pearls to go across my neck…you change as well. Make something out of your uniform…do that alchemy thing that you do. I'll be back." And she's gone again.

This time when she came back out she found not a soldier but Zack dressed in her white t-shirt, a pair of darkened blue jeans, and his military boots. Around his waist was his coat, his pocket watch stuffed deep into his jeans. He looked fresh out of work, nice and sweaty from the summer heat.

"My shirt..."

"It's easier then transmuting."

"Point taken and acknowledged. I'm also going to say that you're lazy," Linuette takes a twirl just for her girly measures. "Also I give you permission."

"Mistress Linuette," A knock came upon the door. It was the house maid that father insisted they keep around due to the fact that mother works way too hard for her own good. Even if she won't admit it. "Your fiancé-"

"Out the window!"

"You're in a dress." Zack sighs.

She pushes him into her bathroom then locks the door. "Then you go out first. Out, out, out I say!" She continues to push him as he all but hurls himself out the window. Walking over to the bathtub she runs the water for a good four minutes before flipping on the radio and heading out the window herself.

Zack caught her at the waist. "Why?"

"It'll buy us some time if he thinks that I actually care what I look like in front of him." Flattery was a man's weakness. Hit him hard and fill his pride, he'll drool and want more. "Let's go!"

"Where?"

"That's the adventure of it."

_Right…of course. I should have guessed._ He released her, feeling the warmth of her body leave his fingertips.

"What do you like to do? Why don't we go and do that for the day?" With a smile, Linuette folds her hands behind her back and walks in no direction. She was keeping an eye out for Andro just in case he happened to walk by.

"I don't know…read I guess."

"Reading is fun; I'm willing to bet the allowance I don't get that you only read alchemy books."

Zack shrugs. "Granted they're not romantic-"

"Get stuffed." Was her answer.

"A lady shouldn't talk like that."

"Well a man should learn when to shut his mouth."

They smile, amused by each other's wittiness.

"We could go shopping and you could buy me something expensive and useless with your paycheck." Linuette says after a moment of thought. It's not like she was trying to be irritating or anything she was merely avoiding the inevitable when alone with a boy. That awkward silence.

"Or we could not and say we did."

"Or we could do and say we didn't."

More smiling.

"I like ice cream. Let's grab some of that and maybe go hang out at that bar place. I like that place."

"Right…I'm not sure if I should be supporting you spending most of your time at a bar or not," Zack says. It should be fine considering how she's always with him. "Speaking of which, who knew that you could play the piano?"

"Only those willing to listen and pay attention."

"Care to elaborate?"

"Sure," She holds out her hands and indicates to her forefingers which curve just so. "There you have it. The reason why you should have known. Almost every piano player who plays constantly like I do has that."

"But you don't play constantly…not while I'm around."

"Don't I? Oh I don't." She thinks on that for a few seconds. "Right…that is odd. Maybe I'll play for you sometime but don't count on it. It is my favorite thing to do but I refuse to do it for just anyone."

"You played for many people that night."

"Yes but it was mainly for you. I did thank you didn't I? Oh I think I did. It's because you do the thing." That thing that she can never understand. "Playing the piano is my one and only talent so I want you to cherish what you heard."

"You have several talents. You just don't call them talents."

"I'm not going to label every little thing I'm good at as a talent."

"What about alchemy? I've seen you use that before."

Linuette stops walking. Alchemy has naturally always been a part of her life. So much so that she hardly thinks about it now except during her studies or to threaten someone. "I can do it…I'm not a fan of alchemy though. I believe that it's unnatural."

"Does that make me unnatural?" Zackary asks.

"Everything is unnatural." Was her reply.

When he was about to ask what she meant by that a shrill of 'Andromira? Oh my God it is!' came from their left. It was Lila from that one night. She was in a slightly less revealing dress to go with her extremely high pumps. "What is up? Are you out with your sweetheart?"

Before he could proclaim Linuette as his sister she grabbed his arm and hugged it tightly to chest. "Mmmmmhmm and how do you know my Andro? She looks pretty…Andro she's pretty."

"Don't worry love," Lila smiles coyly. Flattered almost. "But I would worry about him and his trips to the bar with his little friend. Zack was it?"

"Oh yes! I know Zack…Andro takes his time off with Zack before running on home."

"So what are you two lovebirds up to?" Lila takes her spot by Linuette who takes Zack by his hand swaying it slightly like she had seen couples do before but never imagined herself doing with the real Andromira.

"Ice cream. You?"

"I was thinking about meeting Lily but now if it's alright I might as well tag along with you two."

Linuette's smile just kept getting bigger. "Oh yes, by all means let's go."

"Now that I think about it…you were with another girl the other night weren't you?" Lila looks to Linuette, expecting some sort of reaction. Linuette just shrugs it off because honestly she couldn't care less after all it was _her_ who was there. The fact that Lila saw her as a threat was most satisfying.

"Yeah," Zack says honestly mostly because the girl he was with is right next to him, holding his hand. For a piano player, her fingers were smooth as can be. It was to be expected considering how she's hardly worked a day in her life. Tempted as he was to run his thumb in small massage like circles on the inside of her palm, he refrained himself and thought about the conversation at hand. "She's my sister."

"Oh…are you sure?"

Who asks something like that? "Of course I'm sure. Even if I hadn't spotted her I would have recognized her by the lovely sound of her voice. You heard it as well didn't you? Her voice was like sweet honey drizzled on popcorn."

"As if that makes any sense!" Lila smacks his shoulder playfully but Zack doesn't even notice. What he does notice however was Linuette and how pink her cheeks have turned. Like a rose petal dashed with dew she avoided his gaze.

"It makes perfect sense," Linuette mutters to herself. Lila doesn't hear her but Zackary does. "Sweet with a touch of sound salt. Just that lovely bite at the end, the surprise in the Jack-In-The-Box."

"Surprise." Was Zack's next line. Lila eyed him cautiously wondering why he had suddenly said such a word, but Linuette seemed to understand. He could tell by her smile that she understood perfectly. She always seemed to be smiling now.

Perhaps it was because she was too busy having too many adventures to frown.

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**Thanks for reading. I hope to update next week. Read and review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own FMA**

**Hey! It's beautiful out and so I am out and about! Summer! I'm so happy for summer! It's a time for mopeds and ice cream! I'm so thrilled so here's an update**

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**Chapter 5: The Short Cut Home**

"As you are entitled you may have your day off!" Linuette declares from her place on her bed. It is six am in the morning and they're both awake. She tended to wake up really early just to smite Zack in hopes of out witting him, too bad for her he learned from day two. "Every two weeks father is inclined to give you a day off. Accept it and be off with you."

She sounded…disappointed and yet slightly excited at the same time. He didn't know if she wanted him to leave or stay to watch her paint her toe nails. She was always hard to judge when she was like this. It irked him when he couldn't tell what she was thinking. "I'd rather stay here to be honest."

"Ehhh? Don't I drive you mad? Nuts even? Suicidal?" She inquires rather quickly. A catty smile is on her morning face, her hair sticking out in ways that he hadn't figured possible. "Or are you too intimidated by my undeniable power and beauty that you don't dare to take a day off in fear that I'll incinerate you on the spot?"

_Really?_ "No." Blunt and straight to the point.

"Aha! Good answer, excellent in fact. Take that you sadistic father of mine! I do not drive all my baby sitters away ah ha ha!" With that she flops back down into her comfortable quail feather stuffed pillows and sleeps for another three hours before waking up and proclaiming that she demands waffles with chocolate chips in them. "But not made by you, it's your day off after all."

"I don't want or need a day off. If I need a day off then I'll just request it from your father." Zack yawns. He had stayed up to watch her sleep finding her very just as interesting but a bit more quiet then while she's awake. She mumbles things like 'bumble bees swimming in the ocean' every once and awhile which makes him want to take a journey with her through her dreams.

Swimming in the ocean.

Linuette also has a horrible tendency to toss and turn, at some point she had thrown a pillow right off her bed. At another point the sheets were so tangled up in her, that he got up from his spot in her reading chair to yank her blankets back up and pull them to her chin. Her brown eyes had flickered open and she mumbled his name.

"Shh…go back to your dreams. I assure you that they're much more interesting." Zack boldly and perhaps stupidly, brushed back her hair from her forehead. A lazy smile came upon her sleepy face and she mumbled something that was meant to be 'goodnight' but sounded like 'goodfright'.

"No, no, and no. You need to recharge from all the fun and irritation you've been experiencing these past weeks. Trust me there will be more where that came from, after all I have to keep you on your toes." Linuette looked to the floor. She was thinking about how she was going to get said waffles, it would require getting up and quite possibly making them. This took effort which wasn't exactly worth it. "Now go and get out of the house! Shoo! Shoo!"

"What if I say that I want to spend my day in the house?"

"Then you're either a liar or a very boring man. Now out before I get a broom." Zack was quite tempted to stay just to see what she would do next. After all Linuette was lazy in the mornings unless she was trying to get away from Zack by cutting a hole in her closet or something stupid. He soon got his answer when she started to chuck pillows at him telling him to get out before she makes him.

Another amusing sight.

_I've got the day off…but honestly I don't know what to do._ Before this job he had always been studying for the alchemist exam. If he would have known that it would come to this then he wouldn't have bothered studying so hard. It was a great honor to be her bodyguard.

Or so Mustang was trying to convince him.

"Well I'm a grown man stuck in Central, there has to be something that I can do." His guess was the library. He wasn't lying when he said that he enjoyed reading, like his father he had inherited his thirst for knowledge.

Books were just one of those things that he could sit and do all day.

Central's library was large and seemed to have an endless amount of books. In fact his father's first reason to join the military was to get into the library if he remembered. The library had access to books on the philosopher stone, or so they believed.

He would often read while he was with Linuette off on one of her crazy adventures. She didn't mind, as long as he listened and could repeat each and every word she said then she allowed the books to be present. If he failed to do so then she would call him all kinds of pretty names, demand to know what was so interesting, and ultimately take the book and start reading it in a huff.

She's never had to do that often for Zack found her more interesting than not. It's just the way that she looks at things; it really did click with him so much so that he wished that he had met her earlier. Before this and before Andromira maybe then things would be different.

Maybe he wouldn't be an alchemist and instead he would be-

Oh never mind…

"I think that I'll take the short cut home." Zack says to himself after walking out of the small accessory shop. He had ended up exploring town anyway in hopes of entertaining himself. Never once did he think that it would be this hard to keep himself busy.

"A gift for your girlfriend?" The lady behind the counter cooed when he had brought it up.

He shook his head. "A friend."

"Oooooh. Well she's a lucky girl." They said no more when she rang it up and gift wrapped it.

Buying it had not been the plan when he was walking down the street, hand in pocket, one holding up his book but he had known that as soon as he saw it that she would love it.

So naturally he bought it and figured that he'd give it to her on her birthday or something.

"It's not safe for a pretty lady like yourself to be walking alone at night." It was a man's voice, naturally.

Zack's short cut consisted of a stretch of alley ways, he had ran into his fair share of thugs and odd looking people but never anything like this. Never.

"Apparently it's not safe for a lady to walk around during the day either." The lady says calmly. Her face is hidden by a large sun hat; her hands are balled into fists. It is clear that she's nervous even if she sounded so calm.

The four men who have cornered her look amused, they exchange glances and even chuckle a bit like it's funny. The girl certainly doesn't see it as that.

"Ha! She's got a mouth on her boys; let's teach her how to use it right."

"Blue coats." Zack says to himself. Already he finds himself grimacing at the sight before him. He began to wonder what judgment should be served upon four people like this. Doing this…even just harassment was both emotionally scarring and would stick with the poor girl.

He couldn't just let this happen. "H-"

But before he could even say anything the man who had spoken first, falls to the ground holding his groin and moaning like crazy his eyes bursting with pain. The three took a look at him and began laughing like crazy, she took that moment to leap over the man in one bound and start running down the alley way towards Zack.

It didn't take the men very long to realize that their toy was getting away. They gave the man one last sympathetic look before sprinting off after her. She wasn't fast so they caught her before she could even get close to Zack.

The first man to reach her grabbed her roughly around the waist laughing and whistling while she kicked and fought him, scratching at his strong arms. She scrambled and wiggled worse than a snake desperately trying to get away. There was no hiding her fear now.

"Help me!" She screamed out of desperation. Unknowing to her due to the lighting, she was reaching out for Zack who had stayed where he was, looking for an opening so that he could crack open their skulls. "Please!"

"Feisty isn't she? Now let's see that pretty face of yours." The man reached for her hat and that's when Zack decided to throw it all to the wind and take a step out.

"Well, well, well what do we have here?" Zack asks. He closes his book with his fingers and walks into the light. "Looks like scum to me."

"Buzz off! We're working! This woman is a criminal, we caught her stealing and she assaulted one of our men." The man nearly bit his tongue off as the girl struggled with newfound strength at the new light of hope. "Stop it!" He hissed at her, as if she was going to listen.

"As if. A woman doesn't look that terrified when getting caught stealing," Zack glares at the men. "Besides I witnessed the entire thing."

"Why you! Interfere and we'll have you thrown in the brig."

Zack eye's gleamed dangerously. "Not if they can't find the bodies." He was acting very much like a certain blond alchemist that use to roam the streets when he was young.

"Sir…that's an Elric." And just like that everything changed. How he had recognized Zack was a mystery. Perhaps he even thought he was Edward (unlikely due to the hair color difference), who knew but it seemed to do the trick. The man's face paled slightly and his grip slackened.

Just enough. His captive slammed her heeled sandal down upon the man's left boot causing him to scream out and ultimately let her go. She sprinted and due to her panic she tripped over her own two feet and fell.

Right into Zack's awaiting arms. He caught her quickly and prepared to swing her behind him when she looked up and he actually saw her.

Linuette…it was Linuette with her tear stained face looking up at him with wonder. She still looked panicked, almost feral even with her terrified eyes and tear streaks.

That was it.

"Girl!" One man hollered. He reached for her to grab her arm and yank her back, but Zack was a lot quicker than Linuette. He pulled her behind him trying to be gentle but not quite succeeding. With that momentum he took a step forward like a baseball player and slammed his book across the side of the man's face sending the hardcover flying. Blood squirted from the man's nose as he flew back from the sheer force of it all.

"Who's next?" Zack asked. The two looked hesitant after seeing that. "Come on! Come at me all of you, I don't care either way I'm still beating the tar out of each and every one of you." He didn't wait. He bounded off the ground and leaped at the nearest one.

All Linuette heard were the sounds of someone pounding another man's face against the brick floor. She heard the cries of the men around her as Zack did his handy work. When she cared to open her eyes she saw Zack on top of the first man who had dared to touch her.

"The lesson learned today is: Keep it in your pants! You four are excellent examples of why people hate the military. Now, I want four apologies and I want them now!"

The moans irrupted immediately. One man, the man he was currently on top informed him of him knocking out one of his members.

"Okay," Zack steps on the man's head. "I want three apologies and I want them now."

More moans.

_Good enough._ Zack heads off to his next target. The man who had dared to proclaim Linuette a thief. "And _you_, the next time you decide to lie, do a better job of it because you stink. You smell so bad that I could smell your lies all the way across town and if I ever catch you lying or doing something like this you bet your ass that I will kill you." He left him with that.

Like a completely different person Zack walked with an air of pride on his face. He walked to his fallen Linuette whose legs couldn't support her and offered her a kind hand. That hand was reddened from the many hits he had taken at the men, but it was a strong hand.

So she took it in both of hers and put her face in it, trembling. "I'm so-so sor-sorry…"

"For what?" Zack kneels down. He's never seen her like this and he never wished to see it again. "Linuette…"

"I…I f-followed you because I wanted to know…I wanted to learn about you and well…" Linuette tried to glance at the fallen men, but he wouldn't let her. Using his other hand he took her chin and made her look up at him, into those eyes that she loved to see so much. "I caused you trouble."

"You always do." Zack's tone was gentle, no more was that violent man that she had witnessed earlier. Who he was, she didn't know. "That's nothing new."

"I was so scared." Linuette trembled once more. She bit down on her bottom lip, lightly chewing.

"But you're not anymore."

She shakes her head. "I'm not…b-but I will be if you leave-"

"I'm not going to leave. Not now and not ever, I'll be right here so that you don't ever have to be afraid. Alright? So promise me that you won't ever send me off like you did today."

"I promise." She says immediately.

Zack rubbed her head like he does whenever she does something extraordinary. It's comforting to her so much so that she closes her eyes and feels his fingers trail down her cheek picking up a lock of her midnight hair. "In return, if you ever want to know something all you have to do is ask. I won't deny you, not you."

When she opened her eyes back up he knew that right then…she was his girl. She was his to protect and his to comfort when she got scared like this. It was his responsibility and he was going to take it. He wanted to even if this responsibility wasn't technically his then he still knew that he would want to do all of this.

Because…she is the most interesting and beautiful person he has ever met.

"Ready to go home?" He asked.

Linuette hesitates, perhaps thinking about the events of today. She wanted to make sure that she was satisfied with today's adventure no doubt. "Yeah….but Zack."

"Hmmm?"

"I don't think I can walk." She admits sheepishly.

Zack raises an eyebrow. "Then I'll be your legs, but only for today."

"Thank you."

The entire way home she sat in his arms, her breath on the back of his neck. She was warm and surprisingly light for the amount of food she tended to cram down her throat. Plus she smelled of roses and marshmallows.

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**Thanks for reading! I'm going out to enjoy the sun with my friend. It should be fun. Enjoy! Read and review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own FMA**

**It's hot it's hot it's hot it's hoooooooooot -dies from the heat-**

**All I've been doing is making curly fries for Arby's and it's hot and annoying. In fact I work tonight. Well enjoy!**

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**Chapter 6: Just So**

"Hey…just a theory but don't you think he'll notice when you keep going missing whenever he shows up?" Zack hoists her up once more. She was wiggling too much.

Linuette shakes her head. "Doubt it and besides I could care less what he thinks, wants, or cares about because honestly I don't care about him."

"You two seemed to get along."

"That was in front of father. Besides I wanted to see your face when faced with the dilemma of two lovers in a room-"

"Lover?" He nearly drops her from the word.

Linuette grabs his ears, yet another annoying thing that she has been doing lately. "I'm joking I'm joking…oh ew I think my soul just died a little from my own joke. That was horrible! I mean…Andro does have a pretty face but he's more of a one night stand kind of guy if you ask me."

"I don't need to hear this Linuette."

"Oh come on, live a little." She snickers.

Zack shakes his head. "I'm trying; don't kill me with your nonsense and disgusting images."

"Don't think about them." She shoots back. "Give it a couple of hours I'm sure that he'll leave."

"Do you have a plan yet?"

"Nope, give it time Zack! These things take some serious time I mean it's not as simple as dressing up like a boy nowadays. I actually have to try now." She sighs as if this was the most horrible thing she could think of. She remembered the days where it was just as easy as putting on a wig for kicks. Those were the days. "Anyway Zack you sound rather eager for me to get rid of Andromira…any reason why?"

"He bugs me." Zack answers.

Linuette pushes his head down. "Well no duh, why does he bug you Zack?"

"Because…you're not comfortable in your own home when he's around." Zack answers simply. It was just…a small little answer and yet it meant so much.

Because he was right. She wasn't comfortable whenever Andromira came over and that wasn't right especially when she was at home trying to relax. "Well…there is one way to end the problem."

"Dare I ask how?" Zack sighs. He knew that he wasn't going to like this answer.

"Kill him."

"No idiot, you'll be thrown in the brig."

Her eyes gleam. "Not if they can't find the bodies."

"Oh hilarious." Monotone and mostly bored was all she got for her troubles. He saves the girl one time and what does he get? Criticism and her constantly making fun of him in her many ways. It didn't matter how cute she is, when she got going she could be rather cruel…but he believed it was her way of erasing the awkwardness that had developed between them.

There was a strange sense of closeness that had developed. They both described it in their own way. He stated that his newfound desire to protect her was because of the fact that she constantly felt the need to be in some sort of trouble, while she stated that she found herself drawn to him because he makes her feel safe.

Of course neither of them told each other this, he didn't even dare to telegram his cousin for help in fear that she might have taped the phone lines.

She didn't have many friends; whenever she went to school she was always an outcast. At first she had been really popular due to her father's status and whatnot, but after the first incident in the chemistry lab most stayed away from her. There is a reason why you don't mix certain chemicals with other chemicals because they might explode. When told not to do something and not told why…well she found her answer.

"And that's what happened sir." Zack said. He was sweating, fearful in fact that he might get Linuette in trouble. Although it was her foolishness that had gotten her in trouble. It was her own stupidity that had led to the incidents of that night. "I take full responsibility. I should have noticed her following me sooner."

"That won't be necessary." Behind those laced hands lye a smirk worthy of a poker player. "This conversation never happened. I want you to continue doing exactly what you have been doing. Nothing will happen to Linuette, am I understood?"

"Perfectly."

"You're dismissed." Only when the young alchemist had left did Mustang let out a worried sigh. The report had been detailed, a little too detailed for his liking. In all truth he had wanted to shout at Zack for not taking the men into captivity.

"What am I going to do with that girl? This isn't how I wanted it to go…" Despite what he said; he knew that it had ended up the same anyway. This way was dangerous but had ultimately accomplished what he wanted. "Dammit!"

With yet another sigh he slumps in his chair a hand clawing lightly at his handsome face. All of his recent stress and sleepless nights suddenly decide to show themselves on his face. So he did what he always did when things went this way. He hid.

"She's my little girl alright..." Yet another sigh to finish off his day.

_And yet…she's getting so big. _

Linuette is a bottle, slowly filling up with whatever you want to call it and once she overflows perhaps something horrible will happen. Or maybe something wonderful. "What's your favorite color?" Another thing she had been doing recently, playing twenty questions.

"I'll tell you if you tell me." His usual and preferred answer.

And her next line is "Screw you and your equivalent exchange law." She pushes his head down once more just for kicks. With a grunt and an eye roll at her childishness he gives in.

"I don't have one."

"Ah," Linuette says boringly. As boring as the answer is it is an acceptable answer. "So you've always been a busy person haven't you?"

"Excuse me?" Zack asks.

She points forward even though he can't see it. "If you're busy then you don't have time to be thinking about small things like favorite colors or whether or not the sky is really blue today when in fact it's orange due to the setting sun."

"I guess…" Zack says.

"I've got it!" Linuette bursts out suddenly. It was due to Zack that today might actually be interesting.

"Got what?"

"What we're going to do today. It won't cost you anything-"

"By you, you mean us."

"-and it should keep us pretty much entertained. I know just the place!" She ignored his comment; perhaps she didn't hear him at the time. He didn't think to ask as she turns her head around searching for something. He still walks until she says 'aha' and points to a tree. It's just a tree with nice shade. "That place."

"That place? I thought that you said that you knew a place."

"I do, it was in my head and walah suddenly it's here."

"What are we going to do…with a tree?"

"Nothing, that's the point. We're going to sit there and just think about those things that we never have time to think about. That's it, that's our adventure for today." He was sure that she had gone off the deep end now. There was no way that she was going to be content with just sitting underneath a tree. He knew her; if it wasn't mildly exciting then she wasn't interested in it.

She was persistent though, to the point where that when he sat her down she flopped right underneath that tree spread eagle with this content look on her face. Her eyes closed as if she was going to take a nap, he wondered if she intended to.

He took a spot, hauling himself up onto the first branch that was reachable. From there he sat, laying back against the branch and looking up into the tree. Not much to see besides a small birds nest that had been clearly been abandoned.

This was just something…he couldn't do for he couldn't think of anything. He found that when he thought about colors his brain told him 'who cares?'. Had all his time studying and thinking about life took those little joys of having favorites away?

If asked what he liked to eat…would he just answer 'food'? Or would he tell them something along the lines of liking sweeter things versus salty or fried? Zack found that when he thought about it he remembered liking ice cream quite a bit. It was really sweet and cooling.

Perhaps her earlier requests for ice cream could be fulfilled.

But which flavor?

Now that led to a whole new round of thinking.

When he couldn't decide there was that last question still lingering deep within his head. A question that she had asked him a while ago and he had answered 'reading'.

What did he like to do?

The only question that had an immediate answer.

He liked being with Linuette. He liked everything about her, from her charm to her overconfident smile that always seemed to be present when she was out and about. Aside from her attitude problem she might as well be perfect.

Nothing stood in her way and if it did then she would find a way to skirt around it or to get rid of it entirely. At this moment it was Andromira so she was dancing around him, trying to get him to take a hint. She is the most interesting person he has ever met.

During his exam times he has met several people. Most of them appeared to be overconfident and egotistic alchemists who were so sure that they would get in that they bragged about it. Here stood a girl with born talent and yet she hardly used it. It was clear that she could be an asset and yet she stayed home claiming to have better things to do.

Linuette doesn't have a schedule aside from the daily studying that she always seems to want to get out of. No, she makes her schedule even though a girl like her should have one.

Her eyes are like a kaleidoscope. Every time you look at them you see something different and you just have to wonder what the world looks like through her brown/black eyes. She's beautiful but doesn't seem to care or notice.

She's smart and lets you know it.

Never will she admit to being wrong if she can wiggle out of it.

"What are you thinking about?" She asks from her spot at the base of the tree. Her eyes are still closed even though he can't see her.

"You." Zack answers honestly.

There's not even a pause. "Well isn't that funny?"

"What?"

"I was thinking about you too." Down below she is smiling thinking to herself about how this wasn't actually funny.

"What about me?" Zack has to ask. He decides to close his eyes as well, perhaps in anticipation for what her answer would be. Whatever it was…it was bound to be unpredictable.

She didn't disappoint. "About how that even when we're sitting here thinking about random things, that we still end up thinking about each other. I thought about how whenever you're actually curious you raise your eyebrows just so." Her eye brows rise.

It's funny how life can be just so, sometimes.

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**The title of the story. No it is no where near being done so worry not! **

**Thanks for reading**

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	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own FMA**

**Hey! Here's an update :3**

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**Chapter 7: Nasty Words and a World Worth Waiting For**

"Fuck." She hissed when she seen a certain someone sitting in her living room. Woe was it to be a fiancé of someone who sometimes has a brilliant or rather normal idea.

"Language." Zack advises. She has been swearing a lot lately. Usually in the presence of Andromira if he recalled correctly. That at least was a good thing. It was the day after yesterday and their day of…realization so to say.

Instead of showing up yesterday, Andromira decided to do what quite possibly everyone else would have done. Show up again tomorrow. "Quick! Tell him I died or something." She pushes Zack forward.

Zack rolls his eyes. "Oh yeah _that's_ gonna go over well."

"It will if you go and do it."

"And while I'm being your distraction pig, you're going to escape?"

"Naturally."

His heart sank a little there. In a way he was disappointed, she always included him in her little escapes. Whether it was out a window or in a closet, they were always together since that day. Why should that change? "No way in hell."

"Language." She shoots back at him for earlier. As much as she enjoyed his company, when it came to Andromira it was every human for themselves. "Whatever." Peeking her head around she spotted him, only this time he wasn't alone. His buddies from the bar were now with him.

"How do I look?" She asks suddenly. Today's assemble was a white blouse over a pink flower petal skirt. "Like I just crawled out of a dirt hole maybe?"

"No…why would you want to?"

"I want to embarrass him in front of his friends."

"You'll have to try harder than that."

She thinks on this, and then turns around on her tip toes and walks away to go and do whatever it is that she does.

"Hey!" Zack whisper hisses. She waves him off saying something about distracting them, she would be back she promised. Having never been one to break her promises, he decides to believe her even if it means that she would escape and not be returning until later.

He would search for her and lecture her later if she dared to run off without him.

"Linuette is changing," Zack walks into the room full of sharks. More like little tiny piranha, only dangerous in a swarm. With three of them…he was more than sure that he could handle them. "Do you plan to take her out today?"

"No. I don't think so. She's been running off a lot lately hasn't she? Where has she been going, I've missed her twice now." Andro leans forward making it clear that he expects an answer.

Zack obliges just because it's polite to do so. "She likes her adventures."

"Adventures? What is she five?" Andro sighs and his little buddies snicker. As much as he'd love to be impressing his friends at this moment he was rather tired of Linuette. Even more so with her little…puppy here who allows her to do whatever she wants. It was ridicules.

"She can be whatever she wants as long as she's happy." Zack finds himself saying.

That does it. Like getting cut in a pool where they swim Andro gives him this retarded look. "Excuse me? She can be whatever she wants as long as she's successful, you know like her father. Linuette isn't a commoner; she has a reputation to uphold and a position to fight for."

"She doesn't have to do anything. Linuette is her own person, both her parents know this. She'll create her own world her own way the only thing we can do is sit and see how she does it-"

"Listen here you little-"

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Linuette steps into the room and she's absolutely stunning in a black evening grown that nearly touched the floor. Running all the way up to the middle of her thigh is a slit revealing long hosed legs. Around her neck is a silk red scarf. "Zackary. Aww were you playing with the neighborhood boys?"

"Yes," Zack admits. He hasn't caught sight of her yet, he's still glaring at Andromira and his friend's whose mouths have dropped. "They're bullying me. I think that you should let me beat them up." Hid eyes narrow in anticipation, fingertips twitching slightly.

"Now, now Zack behave." She takes his arm with her own, placing a hand on his stomach. Only then did he turn his head and look at her. "I know what we're going to do today."

"I thought that we were already doing it," Meaning screwing with Andromira. "From the looks of it, it involves my paycheck and a rather large chunk of it."

"No, it involves me, you, and a walk that may or may not lead to some place…pricy. Now go and get dressed it's my turn to be the bully." She turns him around and pushes him towards the exit. He was hesitant to go of course considering who he was leaving her alone with. Andromira and two goons who seemed harmless.

After another glare to Andromira he walked out.

Linuette offered a charming if not mocking smile to the three of them.

"Who is he?" One of them asked.

Before she could answer, Andromira offered his answer. "Her pet, he never seems to leave."

"Hardly," Linuette snorts. "At least I don't spend my time ignoring him and finding ways to avoid his little visits."

"I figured that was the case, hence the outsmarting by showing up two days in the row." Andromira looks over his shoulders at his friends, no doubt wanted recognition. Their eyes are still on Linuette but they nod to him.

"Oh Andro," Linuette smirks. "I didn't realize that you wanted me to chew you into a pulverized pulp. If only you had told me earlier."

"Cute." Andromira rolls his eyes. "So where do you think the two of you are going?"

That was an easy one. "On an adventure." She tried not to smile at the thought. It wasn't going to be, it was going to be something normal for once. It was going to be eating together.

"There you go again spurting off nonsense." Andro sighs. He's trying he really was making an effort here and yet she was acting like this.

"It's my world Andromira," This time a smile really does come to her face. "I guess you'll just have to wait and see how it turns out."

"Really? You wore…a military uniform on a date." Linuette sighs. Really this was hopeless. She knew that men can be clueless but this was a line that you didn't cross.

"I don't really own…suits." Zack unbuttons his coat. "When did this become a date?"

"Ahem," Linuette sits to explain. "A date can be classified as two people enjoying their time together. Don't you read…anything?"

"No." Zack sits down. If he had known that her 'place to eat' was going to be a local café then he wouldn't have bothered. True to her word they had gone on a walk and were planning to eat at someplace where they couldn't pronounce the name of the food stuff but at the first smell of it she was there. "I don't. I don't read anything that relates to the human emotions because I personally don't need it. You may like reading about passionate affairs but I sure the hell don't."

"Oh get over it! One time! One time!" She hadn't read a gushy romance novel since. After all he was making her study so she stuffed her head in an alchemy book whenever she could find the time if only to prove that she could. Zack would always smile at her when she got into one of her little tiffs and ran to get an alchemy book shouting "Okay! I'll go and pretend to be God for the day if only to shut you up!"

Linuette was one of the few who accused alchemists to have God complexes. She wasn't one to use alchemy very often but she liked to threaten. She certainly wasn't a flaunter and didn't need an audience to shout that she has the ability to completely barbeque you in a matter of seconds.

Unlike her father that is.

"Besides it wasn't about a passionate affair…it was about a painter." Underneath the table her shoes are off, one falling onto its side. "He fell in love with the painting of a young girl. For years he traveled in search of her if only to just paint her. The painter wanted so badly to see her…"

"Did he ever find her?"

"Naturally," Linuette smiles. "But she wasn't of the wealthy girl who was painted; in fact she was a commoner. So the question is…how did she end up in a beautiful painting like that? Enter the Earl who also-"

"Enough already." Zack moans. He would never understand the need for women to read this stuff. Didn't they have enough love in their own lives? Linuette didn't seem to…but she never once complained about her lack of suitors. She could have plenty of them for men were almost always looking at her whenever she passed them.

"You two are so cute!" The waitress gushes. "I mean just look at you…I always see the two of you running around together and I think to myself 'wow what's their story'? I think it's wonderful when two people show up like that…"

"Isn't it?" Linuette implies. Zack doesn't say anything as Linuette and the waitress talk about the few people they've encountered. Linuette spins a tale about a little girl and a little boy. The boy is always chasing the girl with a flower that he's picked and yet she never accepts it. When the little boy offers it to another girl, that's when his first love comes to get him. "Interesting lady."

"…" Zack didn't see it. "What about you? Your first you know…love."

"Love…hmmm well there was this painter-"

"I get it! You don't want to talk about it." Zack rolls his eyes.

Linuette giggles, something she hardly ever does. He thinks it's almost musical sounding each and every time she does it. "No I'm serious. He used to paint pictures across the street from the military base. I would watch him whenever I got the chance. At the age of fourteen I was a girl hopelessly in love with a man who barely knew that she existed."

"Did you ever talk to him?"

"Of course! I got up the courage to walk up to him and ask him what he was painting. When he showed me the picture I was impressed, really impressed in fact. He was good, that certain day he was painting a lily that had grown in front of a certain tree." Linuette sighs remembering the fond memory. She leans forward so that one of her cheeks is resting on her hand. "One day he kissed me on the cheek and said that he had to go away for a while…now that I think about it I have yet to see him again."

"It wasn't Andromira was it?"

"That isn't funny, Zack." Linuette groaned, just when she was starting to forget about earlier. Of course Zack brings it up!

Little did she know though, that he had done it on purpose. Normally he wasn't bothered by her little stories but when she talked about him…she looked like she honestly misses him. It was annoying and irritated him to no end!

But why it irritated him…he didn't know.

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**Hmmm...I'm really not sure. Anyhoo the weather is beautiful and...**

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**It's my birthday on Wed! I cannot wait! I am so excited. I am going shopping O_O for anime mind you. It should be fun hence the early-ish update.**

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	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own FMA**

**Hey! Sorry for the late update, my computer didn't want to load my word program. Not happy. **

**With a few clicks here and few research there I kicked it's butt and am now back in the game! Anyhoo I have two updates for you!**

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**Chapter 8: Just Like You**

"You're what?" Linuette strained to hear him. She nearly fell off the step ladder that she had borrowed to hang stuff. During her spare time she had been crafting little origami cranes and was planning to hang them from her ceiling. Several of them were already hung at different levels, each and every one of them a different color then the next. Reds, blues, pinks, and greens were everywhere.

She looked really cute, looking down at him with her next origami crane all nice and ready to hang. "I'll be gone for about an hour…my cousin is visiting so I thought that he could tag along with us. Is that alright with you?"

"Why can't I come?" Linuette pouts.

Zack stuffs his hands in his pockets. "Because, you just can't. Besides your hanging up cranes…"

Linuette sighs. She didn't really care for his answer too much but there wasn't much she could do about it now. He left her with a promise to return at the latest in an hour. She continued to hang her cranes with vigor and determination. It wasn't like Zack had been helping her much anyway.

No, as she was hanging them, he was spotting her just in case if she takes a fall. He couldn't fold paper anyway but he could do it with alchemy. When he had showed her, she had punched him in the shoulder stating that he was taking all the fun away from it.

"Zack's cousin…" Zack rarely talked about his family. In the few months that he has been here, he's rarely said a word about his highly successful parents, but then again she hardly said a word about her own. It was like a mutual agreement.

Every once and awhile they would cross paths with her father, Zack would salute him immediately just to be polite while she gave it her all not to glare at him. As much as she loved her father, it was he who wanted her to be with Andromira.

The first time that Zack had ran into her mother, she had nearly shot him. It had been the third day that he was around. While Linuette took a nap he explored the house a bit and stumbled across the kitchen.

Instantly there was a bullet hole next to his left ear. Zack froze, not daring to move.

"You must be Zackary." Riza holsters her gun with a kind smile very unlike the killer that she could be. When she holds out her hand he wonders if this is a trick or not.

"Fuhrer Mustang hired me…ma'am." He shook her hand with as much ease as he could.

"Oh I know. I know everyone who comes and goes from my house," She was cheerful, he realized which made him calm down just a bit. Then her eyes narrowed, and he straightened right back up. "I just wanted you to know that I know. It's a pleasure; can I get you some apple bunnies?"

"I'll…pass." He quickly excused himself. Never again would he wander into the kitchen without Linuette leading the way. It was unnerving to think that she has _missed_ on purpose. Yes she had meant to do so.

Her aim was remarkable.

It was a shame that she was no longer in the military.

"I wonder what he's like…maybe he's like Zack," Linuette sits on her ladder for a moment to think. "Maybe he's calm and yet wary at the same time." Just like Zack.

Ever since that day…Zack has been even more aware of their surroundings than ever before. He hardly let her do anything by herself. If someone even looked at her the wrong way then he was there, staring them down and letting them know exactly what they were dealing with. Of course she wasn't exactly aware of all of this.

"Or maybe…he's a total spaz." She couldn't imagine Zack acting all wild and goofy. It wasn't rare to see him smile now…but just trying to imagining him tickle someone was wrong and quite frankly rather disturbing. "Or maybe he's a hopeless romantic."

Yeah…she doubted that even more. Zack hardly had a romantic bone in his body. Or at least not that he shared with her. In truth though he thought about her probably more than he should.

"Z-Z-Zack? I know that you said to meet at the train station but…after two hours I figured that I'd just come here." The door opens and naturally it isn't Zack that walks in. No it's a man who looks almost exactly like Zack but he has long black hair that is tied back with a leather brown strap. He's slightly shorter than Zack with more of an approachable look to him. "You are not Zack…"

"And neither are you." She shoots back.

A smile comes to his face as if he's realized something. "You're Linuette."

"And you're a strange man in my bedroom. It's wonderful to meet your acquaintance." She begins to fold yet another crane. She doesn't even have to look at him to know the look that she's getting from him. "Your Zack's cousin right?"

"Right," A sense of relief washes over the young man. "I was hoping that he'd mention me."

"Yeah he left just a little bit ago to go and get you, don't worry though he'll be back in an hour."

"How do you know?" This was news to him.

Linuette shrugs. "Because he told me he would be. I don't know the Zack that you know but the Zack that I know keeps his word to the last period." That was one thing that Zack did not do. He never once has lied to her that she knew of.

"Sounds about right. He is reliable that's for sure. Here." She looks down and finds herself face to face with a crane that he had made with his own two hands. "He didn't mention your love for origami."

"I have many loves…paper folding… is no longer one of them." Linuette is looking down at her hands. Each finger has at least one paper cut on it.

"How about I make them and you hang them?" He offers.

Plan of action decided the two make their origami. He tells her all about where he lives and how he doesn't get to visit very often despite how much he would love to. He loves Central for Central has plenty of sights to see.

"Figures…" Zack says as soon as he enters her bedroom. He's watching his cousin who is still folding paper. "What have you done?"

"Uhh…hung up cranes?" Linuette asks.

He holds out his hand causing her to stare at it blankly. It was odd for him to even attempt to do such a thing. "Your hands…let me see them."

"Oh." She holds them out. Slight disappointment.

"You're an idiot! I swear, can't you do something without the potential of harming yourself?" Zack lets out a long withheld sigh.

"It's just a paper cut." Linuette insists.

"It would be just a paper cut if it was only one paper cut." It was clear to him now why she needs a baby sitter. It's because she does stupid things like this. One cut was painful, twenty cuts was horrible. "Let's get those bandaged up."

"You're over exaggerating."

"You're under exaggerating."

"I'm offended that you'd even suggest such a heinous thing Zack," Linuette takes her time getting down the step ladder. She was trying to further annoy him just to do so. Besides she needed to make an appropriate introduction to his cousin. "We all know that I only exaggerate just the right amount."

Zack, while she was speaking had already gone and got the tape for her tiny wounds. It wouldn't take much. "Yeah, yeah sit down."

"Rude. Your grumpy…that makes you no fun." She pokes his left cheek.

Zack sighs.

"I'm sorry to interrupt but I have to apologize for not introducing myself earlier," His cousin walks over to the bed. Linuette is sitting comfortably on it one of her hands in Zack's who is kneeling to dress the wounds. She still thought that he was overdoing it, but he could do as he likes. "My name is Silas Elric. I'm Zackary's cousin as you know. It's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance Linuette Mustang."

"Charmed." She smiles. She would shake his hand but hers were currently being mended.

"Don't you ever pick up sowing." Zack growls at her.

"Oh ew," Her nose wrinkles at the thought. "Sowing is for the old and the senile."

"Well you fit one of those-"

She raised her foot as if to say 'give me a reason'. "Besides if I wanted to then I'm sure that I could sow…" Thinking about this only made her cringe though. Just the idea of sticking herself so many times was enough to make her want to reconsider and wonder why she had even thought about it in the first place.

"Of course you can. You of all people can do anything you put your mind to." He knew that he believed every word that he was telling her. She was something else; no one else had her personality…or not that he's met.

"You think so?" Linuette looks to Silas instead of Zack. Not that Zack really noticed, not until he lifts his head and sees her eyes not looking back into his. Even though she was right there he found himself feeling quite alone. Her attention wasn't on him for once and that wasn't something he found himself liking. "As long as you think so." That's when she looks back down at Zack.

Her look caused him to smile. "I do, now let's get back to paper folding."

"That's right," Silas decides to slide into this. "We'll fold and you hang…how about that?"

"Wouldn't have it any other way." Linuette rolls onto her feet with much vigor. She seems eager to get on with her day; so much so that Zack thought that she might be bored with hanging cranes around her room.

Two hours of hanging and bantering Linuette found herself liking the two. They got along with each other real well, almost like brothers. Silas was quick with his hands while Zack struggled at first before getting it right. He wasn't about to admit that he couldn't fold paper of all things.

When Linuette teased him about it, she got a nasty look from him and a dare for her to do better. When she actually tried to accept said dare she was picked up and tossed right back onto the bed. "Stay."

"So Silas…a handsome man like yourself has to do…well _something._" Linuette is munching on apple bunnies which Zack had braved going into the kitchen to ask for from Riza. He knocked first this time and only when he heard 'you may enter' did he even dare to walk in. It seems that knocking was the thing to do around Riza.

"I…own a small business." Silas allows himself to admit. He was wary around her only because he noticed his cousin's interest in her. She was his responsibility. "Just enough to pay for my living expenses."

"What do you do?" Linuette asks.

"Oh…I show people what they want to see." And that was all that he said on that matter. When asked what he meant, he avoided the question by asking one of his own. Linuette stuck out her lip for about two seconds before just going along with it.

As interesting as Silas is, there was no reason to get in a tiff with him on his first day here. If she wanted to fight with him then she would do it later. "Zack tells me that you have a fiancé."

"I do," Linuette passes Zack a look which he returns with a shrug. "I'm sure that you'll have the joy of meeting him eventually. Trust me when I say that he's the type of guy who sticks in your mind." Like the pain in the ass he really is.

"You don't sound too happy. Usually when people are to be married they are thrilled." Silas points out. He's confused, Zack had told him about her and her ways but she was still a girl. Shouldn't she act like one?

Clearly not. "I'm not like most people though Silas. This isn't my choice after all…it's my fathers and anyone who goes against him gets burned."

Just like Silas did, she refused to say any more on the matter. Zack wasn't sure if it was to smite his cousin or just because she didn't feel comfortable enough to talk about it around Silas. It had become clear to Zack early on that if he wanted to know something then he just had to ask about it. No matter what it seemed to be she had an answer for him.

Except for that day…the day that he guessed was when she had met Andromira. She never wanted to talk to it; it always put her in a bad silent mood whenever he brought it up so after a while he had decided to just let it be.

Another hour goes by and they're done hanging the multi colored cranes. Linuette is thrilled for a good five minutes before she suggest that they do something else.

"Like what?" Silas asks.

"Well…I don't know." That was another thing that she rarely said. She always has a plan and if that plan falls through then she has a backup plan. "We could…hmmm. Do you have any talents?" With a twirl she looks to Silas who is stacking the extra paper.

"Everyone has talents." Was his answer.

Yet another unsatisfactory answer. She was starting to get really annoyed with him. "Can you be anymore vague? No you can't!" With that she opens her door and shuts it behind her.

Zack sighs; he couldn't believe that she was going to be like this. "Now you've done it. Listen, you can't withhold information from her. She doesn't like it. Like her father she strives to learn but not in the ways that he did. I'm telling you right now that if you continue on with that attitude then she's going to make your life here a living hell."

"I'm not doing it because I want to," Silas frets. He hadn't meant to upset her. "I'm doing it for you."

"For me?" He didn't see how any of this benefited him.

Silas nods. "I used to know her…"

"Oh." Zack blinks. He still didn't see the problem. After all a lot of people know Linuette. Not on a personal level of course.

"Yeah…she really liked my paintings when we were younger."

Oh.

_Oh._

"You're him! I had forgotten that you even paint…" A nervous feeling settles over him. The probability that this actually was happening was slim. How did this happen? How could it even happen?

The answer was simple. Linuette, she's special. She makes stuff like this happen even without meaning to. Perhaps it was for that reason that people tend to want to be close to her even if she absolutely objects to that matter.

That and the fact that her father currently runs the military.

"Whatever happens is going to happen but I'm going to tell you one thing right out," Zack proceeds to pick up the rest of the horrible origami project. As he works, Silas gets down helping him. "I don't care how awkward it'll get for either of you, I'm not going to lie to her or skirt around the subject like you just did. I want her to be able to trust me…what sort of guard lies?"

"Guards lie all the time. It's only a matter of time before you're going to have to lie to her for the sake of her well-being."

"In the end…I think that's for her to decide."

Silas looks to him; he had expected this kind of thing from the very beginning anyway. "That's just like you."

* * *

**Please enjoy the oh so obvious chapter O_O**

**Anyhoo I have a feeling a certain someone will like the next chapter XD or at least I hope they do!**

**Read and rewview 3**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own FMA**

**Enjoy! I liked writing the first half of this chapter, not sure about the second -_-" **

**It can't be a FMA fan fic without our favorite high-tempered, milk hating, alchemist**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Child**

"Eehhh….so this is Zack's room." Linuette climbs through the window surprised by how simple it looks and yet…not surprised at all. He's always seemed that way…never taking more than he really needs, never seeming to want more than he has. Her guess was that he's done everything that he's set out to do and is now happy with the way things are that he doesn't need anything more.

There's not much more that he can do. The only thing that he doesn't have is a wife and children. His status was already there from the beginning due to the fact that his last name is 'Elric', he's a state alchemist, and a body guard to the Fuhrer's daughter. What more could he want?

"Hmmm…it's small but I like it." Yes his room was quite small. It consists of a bed made for one, a wardrobe no doubt containing the bare essentials, a desk with one lamp, and an extra-large bookshelf...his only splurge.

It made her want to go out of her way to fill the entire room with just stuff. Random items like chairs and posters, wondering what he would do with it all. Would he think it to be crowded? Or would he feel more at home?

"I knew it." The wardrobe produced three or four wearable outfits, an extra uniform for work, and a suit for the parties his parents no doubt hosted. His mother hosts a yearly fundraiser for something that Linuette couldn't quite remember. Apparently it was always successful. "Really…a man should learn to appreciate the luxury in things. I mean his salary is huge and his parents are loaded. It doesn't make any sense."

It was just who Zack is. Like not taking any days off.

He was crazy in her opinion, crazy and yet she was horribly intrigued by such a seemingly boring man.

After yet another few rounds of Silas completely avoiding or redirecting her questions, she had decided that enough is enough. Linuette, like usual, had decided to take matters into her own hands and let the boys play by themselves.

While Zack went off to the kitchen to get her more apple bunnies she had slipped away unnoticed. It wouldn't take him long to realize that she was gone so she made a point to grab a car and zip away, telling the driver to drive as fast as possible.

For once she wasn't in the mood to play with Zack, no she was in the mood for something different. A game of hide and seek as she would tell him if he ever found her.

"Notes…on alchemy no doubt." The thought of him scribbling late at night made her smile. Knowing him he wouldn't stop until he exhausted himself. She wondered how hard he had to study to get past the written portion…perhaps he didn't need to study at all after all his father is Edward. Maybe he was just gifted, having been taught from birth.

"What's this?" She shuffles through them, surprised by how much detail is in each and every one of them. Transmutation circles and formulas. The breakdown of many things…everyday things that he would find just walking around Central. "This isn't alchemy…"

In her hands is just a note. Like a page from a diary. Curious, she almost read it.

_No this is private…I would hate for him to dig deep into something I wrote._ Not that privacy has ever been an issue before. She's never given a care in the world to basic things like privacy and personal space.

The notes and diary entry go back down on the table. "Although the room is quite bright…I really like it. I daresay that it's almost cozy." With a twirl she twists her lean body so that she flops on her back onto his bed. It's soft...sinking in slightly to hold her.

The bed…

_It smells like him._ Her body turns automatically; she grabs a pillow and brings it down to her cheek. It's as if he had just slept in this very bed…that's how it smelt to her. "Zack…"

"Enjoying yourself?"

"Ah!" Embarrassed at having been caught, Linuette nearly scrambles to get off Zack's bed. In the doorway leaning against the door frame is a man slightly taller than her. He has a slightly muscular build, bearing the most beautiful sun gold eyes she has ever seen.

His hair is tied back in a single pony tail.

"Edward." She says.

His left eye twitches. "Mister Elric. You're definitely his child, absolutely no manners."

"I'm his child alright but my attitude is all my own thank you. How long have you been there?"

"Five minutes tops. Just long enough to watch you completely kill his privacy and violate his bed." She can't quite tell if he's annoyed with her or not for his expression never changes. He just keeps starring at her with his hardened eyes. "What? You didn't seriously think that I didn't know you were up here this entire time. I'm no half-wit!"

"No…I'm just amazed. The rumors about you being short are wrong. You're taller than me-"

"Get the hell out of my house!" Instant reply. No warning whatsoever. "You cheeky brat."

"Rude," Linuette mutters. "No goodbye or farewell. Just a shove towards the door and an insult. I expected more from Zackary's father…whatever. My father's expectations of you were low so why should my own be any higher-"

"I never once gave a damn about what your father thought about me! I certainly don't give a rat's ass what you think now get out before I throw you out-"

"Calm down I'm only joking. Actually your one of the few people that I respect in this world."

"You have a funny way of showing it." Edward's left eye is twitching again.

Linuette nods, denying absolutely nothing. "Drive. That's the thing that I need…I need drive to keep going so that I can just do everyday things. Mister Elric…things bore me to death nowadays why do you think I'm such a trouble maker? Because I can be…but when I look at your son I find myself thinking that maybe the world isn't such a boring place after all. So for now until I can find my own…your son is my drive-"

"LINUETTE!" Edward side steps to avoid being side rammed by a very familiar black haired alchemist. "Linuette…you're here."

Zack takes a moment to breathe. Where he's been she doesn't have a clue, she knows what's coming though and it scares her. So much so that she wants to exit the way she came while he breathes. "What…in…the…hell?"

"Hide and seek," His frown makes her cringe. She sets his pillow aside knowing that she can't take it with her but wanting to anyways. "Zack…I left so that you could spend some time with Silas considering how he doesn't seem to like me. I know that you think differently…but sometimes you need time you know-"

"Don't even start with me Linuette. That's crap and you and I both know that!" She nearly flinched when he says this because he's exactly right. "Seeing as how you've forgotten I'll refresh your memory. You're my responsibility…my friend and my job. This isn't some chore that I'm trying to get out of; it's a commitment. When will you realize this?

"If Silas doesn't like you then fine I don't care. He doesn't need to be around us then. I'm not asking you to attach yourself at my hip or anything like that but a note would be the least you could do! I thought I told you that I'm not ever going to leave you…not until you tell me to. Don't you believe me?"

"Of course I do…you're the only one I do believe. I'm so sorry," Linuette looked at him in the eyes when she spoke. Not something that she does very often. "Your trust…I've betrayed it and I'm sorry. Forgive me…I won't leave without telling you again. Your right…we made an agreement. Your nothing like someone I want to avoid…in fact it's the exact opposite."

She was positive that if he were to ever leave like she had done today then she would go searching until she found him to drag him back. After all…even now…she had missed his constant presence by her side.

"Sounds like some kind of love confession to me. She's a Mustang! She'll swindle you for everything you have!" Adding comic relief to cut the tension was the only thing Edward figured he could do.

But they weren't listening. They were too busy starring at each other, as dramatic as this is it was how they felt at the moment. Like they had crossed some sort of line that neither of them should have crossed, they were in territory that had the potential to become something neither of them could explain.

"Beats your confession to mom." Zack finally says. He looks to his bed noticing the rumpled blankets and thrown pillow. "Come in my room through the window, no doubt invaded my privacy, and laid in my bed…jeez you have no sense for personal space do you."

"Your bed is comfy…I couldn't help myself." She noticed how quiet Edward has gotten. Having not heard of his great love confession she had no idea what Zackary was talking about, the way Edward was acting she guessed it had been epic, so much so that he had made a complete fool of himself. "Zack and I…we have something different. Take me home."

Without any warning at all she moves behind him and leaps up onto his back, wrapping her arms around his neck like a monkey. "H-Hey! No strangling!"

"I'm not…just stop squirming and you won't be strangled."

"Or maybe you could walk for once." With a quick goodbye to his father Zack went out the way Linuette had come. Through the window naturally. He still wasn't sure what her obsession with windows was about. Come to think of it she hardly ever uses doors.

"Walking is for people without a Zack," Was her answer to that. It kind of made sense…kind of. "Although…your bed smells a lot like you do."

"That would probably be because I used to sleep in it."

"Yeah…you think so? I like it." Trying not to be obvious she moves her nose slightly closer to the back of his neck. Shivers run through him at the feeling of her breath on his neck, it wasn't exactly unpleasant. "I think that I could sleep in it and not be uncomfortable."

"Because it smells like me?"

"That," Linuette admits. "And the fact that I'm sleeping under Edward Elric's roof. I mean who wouldn't feel safe? Sometimes I wonder…"

"Wonder…about what?" He dares to ask.

"About your last name. I mean…if you had a different last name would I still feel as safe as I do right now? Perhaps…or maybe I would be against you even more than I was in the beginning and then we wouldn't be where we are today. You know?"

"Who knows where I'd be if it weren't for your father and his odd obsession with mine."

"Exactly! For all I know I could be tied to Andromira's hip by now fighting for my innocence and rights as a woman!"

"I'm pretty sure that you would have torched him by now." It was more likely to happen then her fighting for her innocence.

Linuette nods thinking that he knew her a little too well but leaving it at that.

"There you two are…Linuette you know that it can be dangerous to leave right?" Silas is sitting on the stairs waiting for them. He had ran all over Central looking for her as well after seeing Zack have his minor freak out he was bound and determine to help look for her.

After all he was honestly worried about her as well.

"I clearly don't have anything to worry about. Zack tends to find me no matter where I go." _That's right…he's always there to drag me back._

"Still-"

"You want to know what; I don't think it's really any of your business what I do. It's not your concern if I go half around the world and it certainly isn't your business if I decide to take a stroll down the streets of Central." She hops down from Zack's back; her shoulders are raised slightly as she stares down the rather cute looking boy. "When you're a guest in my house you don't act the way you have. That's like taking honey from a bee and not telling it why when it asks!"

Her statement hardly made any sense. It still doesn't make sense as she takes a few steps towards Silas who is just as confused as Zack. "Linuette?"

"Paint me a dream of a thousand nights." She says.

Silas offers a hesitant smile. "I'm sure that there better painter-"

"No there's not and you and I both know that!"

"You told her." Silas accuses Zack.

Zack shrugs, not denying a thing. "I was going to but honestly she figured it out herself."

"You didn't think for a second that I wouldn't recognize that blond hair? Or perhaps the fact that you smell like paint…I can do the math Silas and I'm not happy. Do you think me to be an idiot?" She's shouting now, but Zack doesn't think she realizes it herself. Silas is backing up just slightly. "What I don't understand is why. Why would you hide this from me? You came back, so what! You said that you would come back and here you are…so why?"

"Why? You…you don't know." Silas looks to Zack who refuses to be a help to anyone.

"It was a childhood promise Silas! It means nothing…or at least to me it means nothing. You should have just told me…I would have understood any reason will do, but you're not going to give me one are you? The sweet boy who I once knew…he isn't there is he?" Being as dramatic as ever she marches past him, not wanting to deal with anymore today. This day has just gone downhill.

It's not like it mattered much, Zack knew that she was only going to go to her room and pout for a little while. Silas however, looks like he had been kicked in the stomach. "And that's why I warned you."

"I didn't tell her because she's important to you! That's the only reason I didn't tell her…I didn't want her to think that maybe I had come back for her you know?" Silas sighs. He sits back down on the steps to think over what has just happened.

Zack shrugs. "She's grown up hasn't she?"

"Yeah…way up. Up and out of my reach now. She's no longer that cute prince charming wanting princess. Now it seems like she's just ready to live life the way it is."

"You're wrong. Linuette doesn't live life the way it is," Zack tells him. He looks up at the darkening sky. "She creates it herself. I'm going to go and check on her, don't worry about it too much. Linuette probably won't drag this on for too long. She's got better things to do."

With a pat on the head for Silas, Zack heads on up to Linuette's room. He finds her sulking, with her face in a pillow, legs curled up. "Linuette-"

"I'm a child. Is that what you're going to tell me? That I acted childish? I know that!"

"And that's why I'm not going to bother telling you that."

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For acting like a spoiled rich brat." She moans.

Zack smirks. "As I recall, you are a spoiled rich brat."

"Yeah but that doesn't mean that I have to act like one just because someone was vague to me!"

"It's fine Linuette," He sits on the bed and cautiously, almost hesitantly, pats her on the back like one would a child. "Even you're allowed to act like a child once and awhile."

With her pillow she buffs him in the face.

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**He WILL appear again, just because I like writing about him :3 plus it's fun. Who doesn't love Edward. Hope I portrayed him right!**

**Read and review**

**Oh and I pray that my word doesn't mess up again, it's irritating! I'm no computer genius so WORD not working is like the end of the world for my to try and fix -_-"**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 9: Fretting**

"Fret not idiot, I have forgiven you and will allow you come with us for the day." Linuette tells Silas that very morning.

Silas looks at her with this weird expression, slightly annoyed and yet scared to show that emotion. "Forgiven me for what?"

"For being mean to a friend. Now forgive me for being a child so that I may continue on with my day without worry of brain explosion."

"I…I forgive you…I guess." Silas looks to Zack, for help perhaps. It was pretty difficult to deal with Linuette, especially if you hardly know her. Zack offers him a sympathetic smile.

As usual Linuette is oblivious to all of this. "Close enough!"

"So where…dare I ask are we going today?" Silas asks.

Linuette smirks. "Well you see Silas since you haven't been here in so long I thought that today we'd be tourist! Tour the sites to see around Central…although to be honest I don't know that many."

"You don't know that many? You've been living here you entire life though…" Silas once again looks to Zack who is as usual, just going along with whatever seemed to please her.

It was a bit irritating to Silas how Zack acted like the nearly perfect dog. He speaks when spoken to, follows her always one step behind her, snarls at anything that dares to pose a potential threat, and goes along with anything.

"Yeah…about that. I didn't really leave the house much when I was little. I've only just recently started to break out you know? To wander about and do as I please." She admits. There's something saddening about the way she stares at her feet, her dress swaying back and forth with each step that she takes.

Zack takes note of this but doesn't say anything due to the fact that he honestly doesn't have anything to say. What was there to say?

Silas seems to know. "Until you met Zack that is."

Her face burns with a nice cherry color that slowly softens into strawberry ice cream. "N-No…well kind of. I mean he does let me do as I please. Whatever! Let's go in here!" She marches into the first store she sees. A local book store.

_It kind of makes sense now…the reason why she spends most of her time trying to get out of the house. Why she insists upon going into random places such as a mere bar._

"Linuette-" Zack tries to grab her to question her a bit more but she seems to sense this and heads deep into the shop, weaving amongst the many bookshelves and eventually disappearing into the musky scent of books. "Damn."

"You didn't know that?" Silas comes up beside his cousin. His eyes are locked on the place where she last was.

"Know what?"

"That she hardly got an opportunity to leave the manor."

"No…" _Is it common knowledge?_

Silas doesn't say anymore. He just walks off into the books, running a hand along the spine of a book he was interested in.

Zack ventures forth to look for Linuette, he can hear her rustling about. Every once and awhile he would catch a glimpse of her. She was running her right hand along the book rows, marveling at the feel of each binding.

"Hmmm." She takes a look at a certain row, when she removes the book a hand comes out and snatches her wrist. It causes such a shock that she ends up dropping the thing spurting off a number of curses that Zack didn't think that she knew. "H-Hey! ZACK! HE-"

"I'm right here." Zack waggles a few fingers are her wrist.

Linuette frowns but is quite marveled at how smart he is. "That you are. Mind explaining what the hell you think that you're doing? Do you think that your funny maybe?"

"Just wondering why you're being so evasive is all." _And now she's swearing._

Silence.

"You idiot! I'm avoiding you because my face is as red as a watermelon's guts!" Blunt as ever she grabs his wrist with her own hand that's currently captured.

"Anyone but me would believe that Linuette. Tell me a story…" That always seemed to work. True to this, she let his wrist go.

"Once upon a time there lived a girl. She was born into a family with a very powerful man at it's head. He loved his girl so much that he was afraid that the world would soon be after her. To keep this from happening he secluded her away in the house that they all lived in. Only once in a great while would he bring her out to explore their front lawn.

"This girl, she loved her father but she wanted more. She wanted more than the house parties and the entire afternoons sitting on her bed studying. So she brought it up to her father who got her someone to look after her. With strict orders they were hardly aloud to let her go anywhere. That is until one day another guard appeared. Suddenly she was allowed to go anywhere…he always made sure that she was safe…"

_So that's it._ It was rather understandable. A lot of people respect the current Fuhrer but a lot of them hate him. In fact more people probably hate him then love him so it's only natural for him to want to make sure his only daughter is safe.

So why is it that she's allowed out now? What's changed?

"I see…are you still red as a watermelon?"

"No…"

"Good." He lets go of her hand and makes his way around the bookshelf joining her into voyage into the book world not saying any more about the topic. She seems relieved that he isn't bringing it up, so much so that she starts to rant about the many books that she discovers.

"I want that one!" She shouts, taking a leap to grab the book. She can't quite reach though. When she leaps again, hands go to her waist giving her an extra boost. He wasn't exactly tall either so this was all he could offer as she grabs the book she wants. "Thank you."

"Hmmm," He looks over her shoulder to get a good look at the book. "I'm proud of you. It's an actual alchemy book."

"Shut up. I don't always buy romance novels. In fact now that you said something I'm going to buy one just to smite you."

"Smite all you want. When you're reading your quiet-" He has to duck to avoid receiving a book to the face. "That's assault!"

"Only if I actually hit you. Now stand still!" She smirks.

He slightly remembers her saying something about how he can tell her father all he wants…something about not being able to prove that she did it. "Why can't you just behave?"

"Why can't you just break the rules once and awhile?" She runs at him with a lovely hardcover. It wasn't that difficult to side step her, grab her arm, and pull her back. Her balance teeters like crazy; she even waves her arms in order to avoid falling on her butt. "Mean."

"You came at me with a book!" Zack protests.

Linuette pouts. "Hey! You attacked an innocent girl."

"Innocent…" He looks at her blankly. She snaps her fingers at him waiting for flame but getting nothing due to the fact that she left her gloves at home. With a sigh the whole thing is over with. Instead she picks up her fallen alchemy book.

"Romance…romance…rom…oh nasty." She makes a face. Zack had been stuffing his nose into a certain history book when he heard her speak once again. It had been a few minutes; he was beginning to get worried about her. When he joins her side he doesn't even have to guess why she's making the face.

Talking to Silas is none other than Andromira. He's nodding as Andro no doubt talks about himself and rants about the types of books he uses. "Yes…I attend one of the more prestigious-"

"Well don't just stand there…get rid of him." She pushes Zack forward with a little bit more elegance then a squirrel.

"H-Hey…there you are Silas." Zack debates whether or not if turning around to scowl would look suspicious. "Have you purchased everything you need?"

"You…" Andro's nose wrinkles as soon as Zack speaks. He would recognize that man from anywhere! "What are you doing here?"

"Last I checked this is a public book store. Not Central library and even if it was Central library I'd be able to get in and you wouldn't." Zack is starring hard at Silas who seems horribly confused. If he couldn't feel the aura of hate radiating off from Andro then he was a bit denser then Zack and Linuette had guessed.

"Where's Linuette?" Silas asks. He's trying to look around Zack who refuses to budge.

Andro crosses his arms. "Yes…where is that girl? Off on another one of her ridicules adventures?"

"They are NOT ridicules, or at least not as ridicules as your face looks right now." Linuette steps out from the shadows deciding to take the offensive this time around. Hiding was all fine and dandy but it does have its limits.

"Oh Linuette. You used to be so cute, when you'd sit in your room awaiting my visits. Back then you were quiet…it really was one of your better qualities." Andro pinches the bridge of his nose quite irritated to be dealing with her antics. Before that _boy_ came she was the perfect obedient child. Aside from a few bumps in the road she was like a doll. "Why can't you just be a good little girl and be quiet?"

A doll that would occasionally catch people on fire.

"Why can't you be like an ice cube and melt? Visits? Pfft, harassment is more like it."

Another deep sigh. "I don't understand. You're an acclaimed and talented person, why would you throw all that away?"

"I'm not throwing anything away," Linuette shakes her head. "I'm only saving it for later. If you've got a problem with that then you can just leave. I'm not stopping you."

"In fact she's kicking the door closed behind you." Zack interjects. With a smile from Linuette Zack looks to Andro expecting a slightly snarky comeback.

"The door to her for you will never be open; you're only looking in through the small window."

"He is-"

"If I may," Silas tilts his head slightly to the left, looking at Andro whose attention suddenly shifts back to the mysterious Silas. "You must be Andromira…"

"I am…and you are?" He had never gotten his name.

Silas stuffs his hands in his pants pockets. "Silas Elric, a childhood friend of Linuette and cousin to Zack. It really is a pleasure to meet you but I'm telling you that your tactic is all wrong!"

"Tactic…for what?" _The Elric's are everywhere!_

"If you want Linuette to like you then you have to be kinder. She doesn't like it when someone else tries to take the lead. It just doesn't work that way," Silas instructs. He has a finger in the air as if he is an expert on Linuette. She's giving him this rather nasty look that Zack can't help but want to laugh at. "If you want to be a leader then leave little hints…like a trail of bread crumbs-"

"I am not a mouse!" Linuette shouts.

Zack can't hold it anymore; he begins to laugh earning him the next venomous look.

"I didn't say that you were. Linuette may act tough but she's a shy girl with gentle and fragile feelings. I can't really explain it but I know that if you're kind to her you're bound to win her over. She dreams of someone who protects her, of someone who's willing to go that extra mile for her…right now you're not hat person." Linuette 101.

Silence falls over the group as all four of them think on what he's just said. Linuette has gone a bit red in the face. When the silence continues she finally lets it all out.

"What a load of crap!" She shouts.

"Ah, ah, ah! Your merely hiding behind your barriers-"

With both hands she drops her book and snaps, making rather loud sounds that send Silas ducking behind Andromira. "Dammit!"

"Language." Zack objects.

"…"

"I'm not going to baby her. She needs to learn when to grow up and leave her mark on the world." Andromira tells Silas. He's already shaking his head thinking about how stupid he's being. "In fact I have this coming Saturday off and your father has granted special permission for you to leave the house unguarded. I'll be picking you up at six so make sure that you look decent."

"I'll get my jeans and t-shirts ready." The look that she gives him is loaded with enough venom to kill a small child; unfortunately Andromira is a bit bigger than that.

"We're going to discuss our future together."

"And I'm going to go and raise my concern about being alone with you without my body guard."

His eyes quickly go to Zack who is clearly more than displeased with this news about her going out without him. "Your father believes that it's important for you to spend some time with me."

"What the heck is this? Why don't I get the father who threatens to shoot any man who dares to show up on the doorstep? I demand a redraw!"

"This isn't a card game."

"It's about to become a game." She threatens. It was clear that she wasn't just going to play along with this. She was going to do something.

What…was the question.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own FMA**

**Okay lets actually put a disclaimer up this time. Sorry I was in such a rush I had to go to work and I just wanted to get it up last week. Sorry bout that :3 **

**Anyhoo enjoy**

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**Chapter 11: Never Winning**

"Why do I have to look cute for him?" She looks down at her red evening dress in disgust. Her brilliant plan to completely sabotage the entire date was a negatory. Her father had taken the extra leaps to make sure that it was going to go flawless.

Anything for his darling daughter as he said.

Anything but allowing Zack to accompany her.

After much complaining, threats, things thrown, and insults her father told her that her she was going to go if he had to drag her by her hair there. This resulted in her daring him to try and him standing up reciting the role of a child.

Lightning zapped between the two.

"Do you know how many people die in car accidents?" She asks once she slams Andromira's passenger door shut. This gets her a nice and nasty look from Andro.

"Not enough. We're still overpopulated."

"I knew that you'd say that!" She smirks, slouching a bit in her seat. "So I thought that I'd do something about that starting with one man at a time."

"Cute." Andromira makes a point of rolling his eyes, which only makes her smile grow even bigger. She wasn't about to let him enjoy his time tonight, she wasn't even going to allow him to hold her hand in public.

"_This_ is where we're going?" She eyes the place. Its one of the fancier places in town, some might even argue that it's the fanciest. She remembered the time that her father had tried to take mother here for their anniversary. They ended up staying home with Riza cooking rice omelets.

"Impressed?" Andromira asks. He seems pleased to see her peering out the car window, nose right up against the glass.

"Not a bit." She was however impressed that he would dare bring her to such a nice place where many people would be about. Thoughts about all the nasty things that she could do to ruin the night was flooding through her brain. So much so that she actually smiled.

"You should be." He opens her door for her and before he can shut it, she kicks it shut with the heel on her spiked shoes. Another disproved look that completely misses her.

His offered arm is rejected.

"You're in a nasty mood today."

Pfft. "The company isn't too good today. I feel like I'm missing something…" Her eyes quickly glance to her side. It was that feeling again, the feeling that she always gets whenever Zack isn't at her side. It wasn't her favorite feeling; in fact it felt rather empty.

After quite literally dragging her out of bed, Zack had started throwing clothes at her and then just left. He stated something about going out with Silas and if she wasn't home by curfew then he was going to drag her back.

The thought of him going out to once again look for her was rather pleasing.

"Welcome…your table is ready. What-"

"Separate bills-"

"Don't listen to her sir. I would like a glass of your finest wine and this lady will have water." Andro shuts the drink list menu without hardly looking at it.

Unsatisfied, Linuette grabs their waiter by the elbow. "Actually I'd like a sparkling water thank you." It was still water only now it had carbonation in it. Most satisfying.

"Learn to enjoy yourself." Andro leans forward on his palms chin just barely touching them as if he's making an effort to make things appear normal.

Linuette shrugs. "I am. You just think that I'm not; which shows just how little you know about me."

"Grow up."

"Get a haircut." Glaring. They don't exactly appear to be the loving couple that Andromira claims them to be. "See here's the thing Andromira. When a child doesn't get its childhood and has its entire life planned out for it, it decides to rebel. Don't like it? Leave."

"If you even think for a second that I'd give up on this then your even stupider then I originally thought. Your father is a very kind man and so I won't say any more than that." Acting as if he held all the pieces was beginning to really tick her off.

_Has he always been this pompous?_

She had always thought him to be overconfident and egotistic but this was just ridicules. He didn't used to be this bad…but now. "You're jealous!" It wasn't supposed to make sense when she had said it for she had merely said to tick him off.

"E-Excuse me?" He stutters.

"You're jealous of Zackary! I can't believe this…you're actually jealous over something that isn't yours to begin with!" It made sense now. His attitude change and his constant insults thrown his way. This was child's play.

"I would never be jealous of that moron! What a ridicules thing to think that I would be jealous of that half-wit of a body-"

"Stop it now!" She gets up, slamming her palms on the table. People look up, wondering and yet slightly annoyed about her sudden outburst. After all her tiffs weren't usually this public it was his fault. "I won't just sit here and listen to you insult Zackary. Do you understand me? You'll never be half as smart as he is nor will you ever be able to touch him. It's just not possible."

"He's a body guard-"

"I love him!" It was said…so sudden that she hardly realized what had just flown out of her mouth. Her legs feel a bit wobbly as she stares at Andromira, shocked herself. He was already shaking his head not believing a word of it.

This was good. This was just a bit too good for him to hear.

She bites down on her bottom lip as is her tendency when something like this happens.

It makes sense though. That was the feeling…that odd feeling that always gets to her whenever he isn't around. It's a nasty feeling of want; she wants him to come home. To come and guide her in any way that he sees fit.

The way that when she'd catch him starring this overwhelming sense of happiness would flood to her cheeks. Someone who has caught her interest…and actually stays with her to enjoy the ride that she brings. It was him.

It was that thing!

That thing that he does…

"I'm sorry I don't believe I heard you correctly," Andro gestures for her to sit which she does due to her unstable legs. "You're telling me that you actually care for that thing that follows you around?"

"Y-Yes…" She trembles.

The smile that he gets is almost frightening. "Isn't that just grand?"

"…" She was done speaking. It wasn't that she couldn't speak it was just that her brain seemed to have been fried or something. Completely unresponsive she wonders what to do. It wasn't like her to not have something snarky to say to him…it was natural.

"And I'm sure that your father will think the exact same thing when I tell him," Like a kick to her brain she looks up at him meeting his glare with a fierce one of her own. "I wonder what he'll do about this-"

"He won't care," She states all matter of factly. "Father won't care and do you want to know why?"

"Enlighten me."

"Because…Zackary is an Elric."

"I thought I told you that I'd drag you back…" A hand falls onto her left shoulder, squeezing slightly as if to say 'if you run you'll regret it'. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Half an hour past curfew…it only takes thirty minutes to get down to here from the house." She says back. Yes down a little ways is the river where people often sit on the steps to view the many people out on boats. "I knew that you'd show up eventually…"

"And you thought that it'd be hilarious to make me run all this way just to find you when you could have had him drop you off at the door?" He was no doubt raising an eye brow.

She smirks. "Yes because if he had dropped me off at the door then he'd without a doubt expect a kiss. I wouldn't want to get my dress dirty with the blood of a slime."

He moves to sit next to her, her hand covers his own both cold as the night air. "That bad huh?"

"I walked out to be honest. I'm wasn't in the mood to be fawned over by the maid nor questioned by father. In fact the only person I wanted to talk to was you. Hence the not coming home…see-"

"It all works out in the end. Although now you'll be questioned about why you're out past curfew." Zack sits, moving his hand down along her arm to rest on her knee. Her own hand droops back into her lap where it was beforehand.

They sit in silence, each of them just enjoying the light touch of another mixed with the night's air and the sound of the water running on by. He knew why she likes this spot instantly. The sky seems so open due to the lack of buildings in the middle to soak it up. The stars were rather beautiful.

"Hey Zack…"

"Yeah Linuette?" It was another one of these moments.

They were never pleasant.

"You're not going to leave me right? Not ever..."

_Where's this coming from? _"I don't plan to-"

She whips her head around to stare straight at him. It such a sudden movement that he finds himself flinching. "Even if father tells you to leave? I mean you're in the military…if he told you to leave then we might never see each other again! What will I do?"

"Wait what? Why would he tell me to leave Linuette? What did you do-"

"Nothing that I can help!" She cries. Her voice was like that of a hysterical person. She didn't know what to do nor what to say. She was looking for impossible answers. "Just…you know…promise me that you're not going to just leave me. We'll still see each other right?"

"I'm not going to leave. There's nothing that Andromira can say that going to make your father dismiss me alright? Now calm down…" He didn't understand it, he couldn't understand it. There wasn't much that he could think of to do except to just tell her what she wants to hear. It wasn't like the other times when she was just trying to get out of something, she was genuinely worrying him now. "Where is all this coming from?"

"Where you ask?" Her eyes drop to the stairs. "From the simple fact that being alone sucks and yet being with someone makes me feel horribly alone."

Basically…she can never win.

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**I hope you liked it Read and review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own FMA**

**Hey! I'm back -_-" it was ALMOST a late update. I fear that's because I'm now on a set schedule at work. 5-11 pm and it's wonderful! Arbys is doing awesome!**

**Anyway this is a rather depressing chapter and yet...I like it quite a bit. It was a lot of fun to write but the chapter I am currently working on is even better! I hope you all look forward to it! Enjoy**

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**Chapter 12: Standing Still**

_This man,_ Linuette's eyes wander to the man sleeping with his head barely on the edge of her bed. She wondered if he's been there all night…it was quite possible that he had indeed._ I love this man…and yet he's someone that I can't bear to tell. For what if he doesn't feel the same? Will he leave? No…he promised that he would never leave me. Things would be different though._

Good different or bad different she didn't know.

She didn't know if she really wanted to know. For once there was too much at risk.

With hesitant fingers she reaches out to touch his bangs, her fingers barely graze the ends of the strands before she pulls them back. He doesn't stir.

"Besides…" She whispers. "Things are better this way. One day at a time…we'll figure this out together. Until we do let's just keep things this way."

She reaches for him again just to brush his bangs away and is met by the fingertips of the supposedly sleeping alchemist.

"Your awake…of course you're awake." She smirks. Apparently no one would be giving the famous bodyguard the slip. He wouldn't even give her a single hidden touch.

"If I wasn't awake then I wouldn't be very good at my job now would I? What are you doing up so early? If you tell me that you couldn't sleep I'm going to call you a liar."

"You watched me sleep? That's creepy," She shifts so that she's lying on her side, facing him with her fingertips still touching his. "And yet sweet."

"It's not my fault that you have trouble sleeping. You sleep sounder when someone is in here with you." Yes. Sometimes she would mumble about the dreams in her head.

"So you slept in here? Do you always sleep in here?" She blinks a few times.

Zack shakes his head, his smile hidden by his arm. "I was afraid that you'd wake up crying. After all you had a rather nasty night."

"Don't remind me." Her nose wrinkles in disgust at the thoughts of last night's dinner. It made her want to just forget everything, to go back to the blank state that she's used to.

"While you were out last night my father came by with an invitation for your family. They'd like to go out to dinner since Silas will be leaving shortly."

"Really?! We've barely done anything with him! I feel…bad. I mean he came here to see you and yet you've spent all your time chasing after me."

"I told him that it might happen. He's been out and about on his own sketching away to take back home. Something about wanting to be able to take Central home with him." That sounded like him.

"I see…" memories flood back of times where she would look through his sketchbook. It had many sketches of the buildings that line the streets of Central. Every once and awhile she'd come across sketches of flowers.

"It's alright if you're too worn out to come," Zack half closes his eyes. It's not because he's tired. "I'm sure that they'll understand. I'll even stay here with you-"

"We're going." She decides. She didn't particularly want to go it's just that she didn't want to keep him from doing anything else with his family. She wasn't going to be the reason for his absence. "In fact it's time for me to get up so that I can bathe."

"Good. You're making an effort," Zack stands up, grabbing her hand and pulling her up with him. Some would call it dragging; he would have as well if it wasn't for the fact that as soon as her feet hit the bed she leaped tackling him. "I'm proud of you."

"Oh Zack," She hangs back so that she can look him in the eyes, her toes just barely off the ground. "Are you trying to tell me that I stink? If you even think for one second that I'm going to let you get away with that then you're sorely wrong."

"You never smell. It's just the fact that your father is going to be there so I thought for sure that you wouldn't even try."

"Oh ew." She had forgotten that he had said 'family' not just 'Zack, herself, and Silas'. It was a rare thing for the Mustangs and Elrics to even think about getting together. It wasn't just the fact that whenever Roy and Edward were in the same room that things tended to get broken, it was the fact that Roy purposely irritates Edward to the point where Edward throws himself at Roy and brings the house down.

Sometimes literally.

"You can put me down now. I think that I'll bathe and then we'll go and get doughnuts or waffles…" To make her point she wiggles her toes which he can't see. What she really wanted to tell him was to spin, to send her world a blur by twisting and eventually falling back onto her bed for another hour of sleeping.

That wasn't going to happen though.

At least not today.

She'll think about tomorrow.

"You look nice." Zack compliments. He had gone on ahead to greet them at his actual house.

"Do I?" Linuette asks. "Sometimes I wonder if men just say that just because women want to hear it, but then I get to thinking with you! I mean what do you have to gain by complimenting me? It's not like _you're_ my fiancé. Your my body guard…it's your job to make sure that I'm safe not to compliment-"

"Enough. I complimented you because I honestly think you look nice." A hand encloses around her head. Like squeezing a watermelon his fingers flex as if to say 'try me'.

Linuette rolls her eyes. "I know that! You never lie to me. Which makes my job highly difficult. I mean it's too easy when they don't lie to you! I could ask you anything and you would just tell me. Like handing it to me gift wrapped…it's way too easy. Where's the fun in that?"

"You trust me don't you?" Zack inquires.

Linuette nods immediately. "With my life."

"Then it's worth being boring." He pushes her back lightly. Her hands go to her head but she doesn't say or do anything except follow him inside looking down at her shoes to keep him from seeing her adorable rose petal cheeks.

"Silas is already inside talking up a storm. He keeps telling mother about his business. She keeps saying that she'd be willing to donate but he just skips around her."

Linuette snorts. "Yeah he's good at that." Even though she had forgiven him for his little act that first day, it was still in her nature to give him a reminder of his wrong doings. Only when she felt like it of course. There was no way that she would waste her time doing it just to do so.

"I'm glad that you could make it Linuette." Zackary's mother says upon arrival. Winry Elric, the famous automailist. She's both beautiful and talented, so much so that most women envy her and yet can't even comprehend how or why she would want to dirty her hands.

"It would be rude not to-"

"As if you care about being rude."

_He's in a good mood tonight._ "Good evening Edward."

"Nothing good about it. I've already told you to call me-"

The shock that registers on Linuette's face is something that Zackary only dreamed that he could capture with a camera. Never had he seen her mouth drop open nor her eyes go so wide.

Not that he could blame her.

Watching a woman smack her husband outside the head with a wrench wasn't something that one sees every day.

"Behave! We have guests after all."

"OW! Dammit Winry! Where?! How?! I don't understand where you keep getting these damn wrenches!"

"It doesn't matter where I get them Edward and besides the topic isn't on me it's on you! We're talking about you!" She flips her wrench a few good times in her hand a clear sign of displeasure on her face.

The only shocked one in the room was Linuette. Silas, like Zack, was taking way too much enjoyment out of the look on her face.

Not much in this world surprised Linuette.

"And this is…" Linuette swallows. "Normal?"

It would explain Zackary's violent intentions in the alley way.

"Huh? Oh my! I'm so sorry you had to see that!" Winry flusters. Instantly the wrench goes in a vase that holds camellias.

"Very normal," Roy smirks. He was shrugging off his coat, pulling Riza's chair out for her at the same time. With a kiss for her cheek Roy looks to Edward who is already scowling completely ignorant to the growing lump upon his head. "Isn't that right, Edward?"

"Yeah, yeah. I get it already."

"And the reason I came…" Linuette takes a seat to watch the two squirrel about. It was worth the trip out of the house just to see the lightning zap between their eyes. She was so interested that she didn't even notice it when Zackary and Silas each take a seat next to her.

"Respect your elders, Elric."

"Pssh! Show me one worth respecting and I might consider it!"

When Roy points to Riza, Edward's cocky expression disappears. Now Edward was cocky but he wasn't stupid.

"The mom card always wins." Linuette whispers to no one in particular.

Silas nods, along with Zack. While Silas didn't know the fear that Riza could imprint upon men, Zackary did. He personally hoped that his innocent cousin wouldn't have to experience the horror that Riza can bestow.

"You're leaving us so soon…" Winry sighs. She's swirling a glass full of ice water like one would a glass full of fine wine. Silas was her only connection to Alphonse basically; except for his rare visits to their house to see his brother. He claims that he came for the both of them but she's always got that feeling that she was the third wheel here. "But you just got here."

"I need to get back. I've accomplished nearly everything that I came here to accomplish; in fact new material is swarming through my head! I've got a lot of work to do when I get home and only two hands to get it done with." Silas avoids meeting her gaze.

Linuette smirks. She knew it. From the very moment she met him she knew that he was going to be like this: evasive. Not one to handle difficult things.

"I told you that I wouldn't mind donating!" Winry objects.

Silas waves a kind hand at her. "Where would my sense of accomplishment come from?"

"…" She couldn't say anything to that.

"It's not that I'm not grateful. It's just that…I want to be able to show people and tell them that it's mine. That I accomplished this through hard work and determination." His eyes go closed for a few seconds. When he re-opens them they're filled with what appears to be happiness.

"Earlier you said 'nearly'," Zack states. "Is there something that we can maybe do tomorrow?"

"I don't think so." Just for a second his eyes glance over to Linuette who is too busy starring at the red wine sat in front of her. She wasn't old enough to drink…but it seemed so interesting. Just the color made her want to pick it up and try it!

Mustang smirks while Riza pretends to have not seen a thing.

Zack shrugs his shoulders. "If you say-"

"I know!" Linuette finally says. "We can go on an adventure together! The three of us will like…hit the town or something. Maybe not tomorrow but before you leave we'll have to go and do something together you know? It'll be fun."

"Ad…adventure?" Edward stares at her blankly. He can't believe that she had just said that!

Roy nods. "Linuette enjoys running about and causing the neighborhood terror-"

"I do not! I am a respectable member of the Mustang family. Now why would I want to ruin that?" Linuette glares at Roy who is currently pushing his salad around his plate. This was clearly not _man_ food as he would put it.

"You're stubborn."

"Well look who she came from!" It was Edward's turn to smirk.

"That's funny Edward," Riza looks up from her meal. She's got that blank look on her face; one that both Edward and Zack recognized. They weren't sure if she was going to shoot someone or scold them. "I quite frankly remember two brothers back in the military. If I remember right the older one was exceptionally stubborn."

No bullets. Safe.

"That's right Edward. I must admit though, for as stubborn as you were; you followed your orders." Roy meets Edward's eyes for this. Lightning as Edward gets up from his chair. "Granted you didn't always follow them to the last mark but close enough."

"You sure liked giving orders back then didn't you?"

"And you liked following them-"

"The hell I did! You know very well the only reason I joined the damn military! Now that, that's accomplished I see no reason to be there."

"Aside from the fact that it pays well."

"It's not even worth it if it means putting up with you-"

"Bleck!" Their fight was interrupted by Linuette spitting into her napkin and grabbing Zackary's glass of iced water. Several seconds of coughing and nasty sounds later she was glaring at her glass of red wine. How could something look so tasty and yet taste so sour? It didn't make any sense to her! "Nasty. How can you guys drink this?"

"It's an acquired taste." Zack explains.

She wrinkles her nose. "Why would anyone want to acquire a taste for that? It's disgusting!"

Now that, he honestly didn't have an answer for. "Here," He refills her stolen glass of water. "I don't particularly like the taste of wine either."

"It's not that bad, if drank reasonably." Riza picks up her own glass.

"Wine makes people stupid; it also makes stupid people stupider." Edward comments.

Silas shrugs his shoulders. "I find that a glass of wine is rather calming. Having more than one can have different effects though."

"Anyway…for that adventure. I thought maybe fishing would be fun," Linuette changes the topic. She was sick of talking about the offending wine. "Or maybe catching fireflies! I've always wanted to catch fireflies."

"Isn't that something children do?" Edward asks. Perhaps he only said it to irritate her.

She wasn't fazed in the slightest. She hardly had a childhood after all. "Nonsense! You're never too old to go out and catch fireflies! I mean they're just bugs."

"Exactly…they're bugs. Wait do you even know how to fish?"

Linuette shrugs. "I know how to learn don't I? Are you done questioning me now Edward? Am I aloud to enjoy this delicious meal and ignore this pretty wine or are you going to sit there and ask me if I know how to blow my nose as well?"

"Cheeky brat!"

"Anyway…so Linuette you must have someone to spend your time on…or perhaps a hobby?" Winry tries. She makes it clear that she wants all of this useless bickering to stop so that all of them can at least _enjoy_ a meal together. In her heart though she knew that putting Edward and Mustang in the same room would be a stupid idea on her part. That's why she hit him so early on, in high hopes that he would behave himself.

Fat chance clearly.

Linuette shakes her head because it's sad but true. "Nope. I've never had the time for hobbies unless you count my adventuring but that wasn't until recently. A person to spend my time on? Oh…actually I do but I don't want to talk about it."

_Liar._

That's all she could think about right now that she was being a total liar in front of everyone. They all probably assumed that she was talking about Andromira but she wasn't.

And she desperately wanted to talk about him, to tell them all that her love was one that wasn't going to get fulfilled. To scream to the heavens that the one for her is sitting right next to her and has been there for quite some time to lift her up, to help her soar.

But she wouldn't be saying any of that. There would be no love confession and there would be no soaring. Not today and quite possibly not for a very long time.

Maybe not ever.

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**Meh! I adore this chapter but I'm tired of having her sulk about and ending it off like that. I hope that you all enjoyed it.**

**Read and review! Look forward to the next chapter where we may -gasp- have happiness XD**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own FMA**

**Hey! Next week is my first anime con. The smallest one in my state and yet I'm super excited! I can't wait! I'm going with my best friend and we're staying for three days. It's bound to be exciting and yet I find myself thinking 'Hotel has internet right?! Right?'.**

**Anyways I bought a Wii and with my Wii I bought The Last Story. It's epic and beautiful and I can't stop playing. I've been...hmmm can we say slacking? **

**School starts next week as well! Senior year, super busy -_-"**

**Enjoy! I loved writing this chapter!**

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**Chapter 13: Moving Forward**

"And this!" Linuette flops down onto his bed, relishing in the smells that are fresh from the time he spent getting ready beforehand. "Makes it all worth it. I haven't been in here in a few days."

"Glad to know that you're not sneaking off on me."

"It's not sneaking if I come here. It's more like," She hugs one of his pillows burying her nose into. For a moment he thought that she might bite into like she does with marshmallows. "Waiting for you to catch up." She rolls onto his stomach legs crossing at the ankles.

"I'll try to be a few steps ahead of you then." Zack takes a seat on the edge of his bed just as her legs curl into her body. She shakes her head, thinking about what would come next.

"I may never catch up then." She admits knowing him he would merely wait up with his hands shoved into pants pockets. Or perhaps he would grab her hand and whisk her away, away from it all. Away from Andromira and her unwanted fate.

Right now and right here she honestly thought that nothing could touch her. Nothing could be wrong when she was lying here surrounded by the smell of Zack and the sound of his voice. She wondered what it would feel like to lay next to him with his voice in her ear, gentle strokes in her longish hair. _Perhaps this is love then…_

"I wish that I could stay here for a while longer. I don't really want to go home…not now." She squeezes her pillow to her figuring that if she had to leave then this was going to come with her. It was an odd thing for her to say and she expected instant rejection.

"Then why don't you? I'll let your family know for you." Little to her knowledge he doesn't want her to leave. Just the thought of her leaving at this moment, made him feel a bit empty. If she left then he was going to leave with her. No questions asked and no objections accepted.

"As if father is going to allow that."

"I'll see what I can do alright? Perhaps he'll surprise you." After all what she didn't know was that every night after she had fallen asleep her father would walk in. Usually he'd just smile and whisper goodnight in her ear, but lately he's been staying awhile to talk to Zack.

"There isn't a father in this world that doesn't wish for his daughter's happiness. As much as I'd love to see her smiling I'd rather see her be successful. You can't have both."

"You do." Zack told him.

Mustang graced him with a half-smile. "Linuette isn't me. I wouldn't wish what I had to go through on anyone. Especially not her. Sometimes I'm not sure what I'm doing; and even when I am sure I'm not positive that I can make her happy."

"Linuette makes her own happiness. Just give her time, in the end she'll tell you what she wants."

"I'm not a fool. I know how much she despises Andromira. He'll be good for her in so many ways, and that's why I must persist."

"Even if she finds someone else?" It wasn't something he should have said. He had let curiosity get the better of him, knowing very well who had been in front of him. Getting fired had been the least of his worries at that moment.

The groggy smirk turned into an amused smirk. "You'll just have to keep her away from them I'm counting on you, take care of her." With a salute from Zack, Mustang had left.

_I'm the one you should be worrying about._

"Where will you sleep?" Linuette asks. When he had returned he found her with her heels off and already tangled within his bed sheets. The white pillows contrasted with the blackness of her hair.

"I'll take the floor."

"Alright." She says. There's reluctance in her voice, not something that he quite understood. She didn't dare ask what she really wanted to ask.

Just sleeping with his scent around her would have to be enough. "Hey Zackary."

_Great._ "Yeah Linuette?"

She drapes an arm over the bed's ledge wiggling her fingers like bait in the water. An unseen smile comes to her face when he actually takes her hand. "Goodnight Zack. I'll see you in the morning."

"Yeah," Zack swallows. "See you in the morning."

The lights are out but neither of them gets much sleep.

"Love…it's a funny thing isn't it?" They were outside, all three of the boys working on a new project. It was to be a new crib. This wouldn't pose a problem if Winry allowed them to use alchemy; too bad she denied them this pleasure.

The only problem was that it was hot out. The boys had changed out of their usual attire aside from Zack who stuck with his boring white t-shirt and uniform pants.

"I don't know what you're talking about." An unexpected smile comes to her face as Edward yet again manages to smack his thumb with the hammer. Laughter and curses ring out.

"Perhaps you haven't noticed," Winry pulls her straw hat down. "But you've been staring at him for the past ten minutes."

"I'm not only looking at him! I'm just curious about what they're doing. They look lost…" They've been at it for the past hour. The two may be geniuses when it comes to alchemy but this was a whole new game.

"You should tell him. Sitting around here isn't going to do anything." Winry rubs her swollen stomach with the fond hands of a caring mother.

"Yes it will," Linuette insists. "It'll keep things the way they are. Normal."

"Is normal all you really want?"

"No but," Linuette turns towards the house. She wants to grab a pitcher of water for the dehydrated boys. "I don't want to cause him any trouble. Besides, just being near him like this is enough for me."

"Take it from someone who knows," Winry sighs. Her eyes are no doubt on Edward who is currently threatening to transmute the hammer. "In the end it won't be enough."

Linuette had figured as much so she had spent a lot of last night peeking over the edge of his bed, her fingers still loosely gripped by Zack's. _When will rock bottom come? Will I still be able to go along like this?_ There has been more and more physical contact. A part of her wanted to hit the bottom so that she could bend her legs and leap for the sun.

"Linuette! Did you want to leave?" Zack stops her at the back door. He's covered in sweat from the sun's awful rays.

"Nope. I was actually worried that you'd all dehydrate. I figured that after I got you guys some water I'd show you how it's done!"

"You can't even fold paper."

"Kill joy," She heads into the house ducking under his arm. "Water is good for you. Take a seat mister man."

"I'm actually heading back out-"

"Sit with me for a bit. It won't take long I'm only getting water." She gestures towards a chair.

"You're telling me to take a break?"

She nods, not bothering to question that. "I don't care if you can take out an entire army by doing that alchemy thing. You're always following me around, you should take a break every once and awhile."

"A break from adventure?" That wasn't like her.

"No," She turns on the faucet, hearing the clank of ice cubes against the glass. "A break from reality. That's what I'm doing today."

"Are you really that bothered?" Ever since she's returned from her date with Andromira she's been acting differently. He already hated Andromira as it is…the fact that he could bother her even when he wasn't here was infuriating. He finds himself clenching his hands.

"No. As much as I love his company I'm not bothered by him." _Liar._

_Liar._ "If it's not Andromira then…" Zack leans forward. Her problems always have something to do with Andromira.

"It's a secret." As bothered as he was by this even he could tell that she wasn't going to say. A bit hurt by her words, he drinks his water without saying much else. Even Linuette opted to be quiet.

"You know…I think I will go home. I'll call a car to come and pick me up so don't worry." For once she wants to be alone.

There had to be something wrong here.

"Aaaah! Hah! Yah! Grah! Haaah!" With one final swing the melon irrupts into sweet, sticky goodness. It doesn't just splatter the yard it also splatters its attacker. She lines up another melon and goes at it. "HAAAH!" This one breaks with one good swing.

She continues smashing the red guts sending it flying everywhere. "You. Stupid. ASS!"

"Rude as always."

_Excellent timing!_ "_**You**_. Just the man I wanted to see. Take a good look at that melon." Wrote in black marker is his name wrote on each and every last melon.

"You've become horribly barbaric-"

"I've got a bat and the drive to kill you." She wasn't completely sure if her threat was empty or not this time around. She's could…she's set people ablaze for less. "What, dare I ask, do you even want? What could you want?!"

He couldn't believe the sight before him. "Zackary isn't around? Perhaps he's already rejected you when he saw you doing things like this-"

"Who's name is on the melon? Insult me again, I dare you." With another war cry she gives the melon yet another good smack with her steel rod. It splatters, nearly hitting Andromira who grimaces with each and every blow.

In his mind it was disgusting.

She used to be such a promising person and yet now…she was no higher than those crawling out on the streets. "How long have you been at this?"

"A little over an hour." She says bluntly. Acquiring the melons was easy. About twenty melon carcasses littered the ground. "And let me tell you something. This has done wonders for my mood! I've finally figured out what I'm going to do."

"And dare I ask what that is?" His arms cross. He's already unimpressed by her performance.

"I'm putting my foot down. I refuse to marry you, I'm telling my father no! This is my life and I'm going to do whatever I want with it!" She sets her rod down, tossing Andromira a smirk. "I'm so stupid! The solution to all my problems is a simple word! No! I'm going to tell him no!"

He hardly waited a second to reply. "No." That was all there is to it, she wasn't going to any of these things. He forbids it, like a father scolding his child.

"I was hoping that you'd say that. I'll teach you the solution to no!" She bends back down, picking up her sticky rod. With a flick of her wrist she wields it like one would a katana. "Now. Stand still! The solution is to kill you!" With that she takes off ready to smack his head clean off.

"You're insane!" He nearly falls on his backside as he scrambles to get away.

"Rightfully so! You don't tell me no!"

Her entire world halts with the drop of a rod and the feeling of someone else's body against her own. Uneasiness settles in as the world spins, blurring everything together in one wonderful color.

"I leave you alone for a few hours and what do you do? You attempt to commit murder!"

"Note the word attempt."

"You're sticky."

"You smell like sweat!"

"Instead of playing samurai warrior I was busy making a crib. You've made such a mess." He groans.

Linuette smiles, denying nothing. "Want some? They're ripe."

"Later. Right now I've got to beat up the playground bully." The playground bully was currently glaring in their direction. She still has her pipe hanging loosely in her right hand. "Now go inside and clean yourself up."

"Is that a suggestion?" If she could have her way then she'd stay right here in his protective arms…even if he was lecturing her.

"You're covered in watermelon guts." He raises an eyebrow.

"So it _is_ a suggestion."

"Sure." Just looking at her gave him a sense of happiness. Even watermelon coated, she was still his beautiful Linuette. With each day that passes he learns something new about her, and yet it was moments like these that he finds himself thinking that maybe…it's not enough.

Then there's _him_. That one major flaw that has been attached to her like a parasite. He bothers Zack beyond belief due to his ability to drive Linuette up the wall. She always appears to have her head on her shoulders except around him.

Which was unacceptable.

"I'll be talking to your father about this-"

"Good," Linuette sticks her tongue out. "I'll join you then. I've got a few choice words for that man. None are pretty."

"What about?" Zack sets her back down to Earth. He too is now damp from her sticky glory.

A smile that he can't quite pinpoint comes to her sticky face. "Joining the military naturally."

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**XD I admit to smashing a few melons myself! It's wonderful and messy...very messy. Try it when you feeling like the world is crashing down! It's fun but can be expensive...for a fruit.**

**Read and review!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own FMA**

**Hey! Sorry about the late update! School has started and I have a crap ton of work AND our local ani con was going on this weekend. The stupid hotel informed me that their internet cant sync with my computer. They said it has something to do with a firewall O_O**

**Umm no.**

**Anyway enjoy!**

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**Chapter 14: Worth**

He couldn't believe and he still couldn't believe it as she sits in her chair swinging her feet and occasionally clacking them together. There was just no way that she was going to go through with this! The military was stuffy, orderly, and strict.

She just wouldn't fit in.

"Are you serious? About joining the military?" The only way to find out was of course to just ask. She hardly ever denied him knowledge.

"Yep, but on my own terms naturally. Besides my father has always wanted me to join the military and that's exactly what I'm going to do." She clacks her feet together a few times once more. "Don't worry…you'll still be employed."

"That's not what I'm worried about. Linuette why are you doing this? Why go through all of this when you've worked so hard to stay out of it?"

He had said it. Blunt and sharp, he didn't know what else to ask or what else to say. Saying nothing wasn't exactly his style. This just wasn't like Linuette, minus the spur of the moment element here. Her mood had changed yesterday, from down in the dumps to excited and nearly back to normal. After telling Andromira to shove it she had gone straight to her father.

Zack didn't hear what she said to him next.

"Because I haven't worked hard at all Zack. What have I been doing these past months? Not much. I've gone through day by day doing as I please and yet…listen remember when I told you that I wasn't worth trying for?"

"Yeah." How could he forget?

Her arms go up as her hands reach for the ceiling. "I'm still not but I want to be. I really, really want to be someone worth trying for…and I will be. Starting with this, it will be mine and in what I've created I will shine."

"You already are. You should know that."

"What?" Her body twists so that she can look at him, more like bore her beautiful eyes into his.

"To me you are. I haven't known you for very long but from what I've witnessed I know that you're someone worth trying for…or at least to me you are. Whatever…if you want to join the military then fine. I'll keep running alongside of you to help you along." With a smile he sees it once more. The tiniest hint of a blush on her cheeks, perhaps it was because of the warmth in this room, he liked the idea of him making her blush.

Hearing that, made her entire plan pointless. The only reason she had wanted to do this was to show him that she could accomplish anything. That she was willing to leap mountains in order to help make her life successful so that when he looked at her he wouldn't just see that stubborn girl, he would see a woman with a strong and successful head on her shoulders.

Apparently he couldn't care less about any of that.

Which only made her like him that much more. "Just try to keep up, I dare you."

"Yeah, yeah. Study."

Normally she would whine but at this moment her cheeks were so on fire that she needed the excuse to turn around. To turn around and pray that he couldn't hear the massive beating of her heart.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"WHAT?!" Edward finally shouts. Linuette doesn't flinch at all, just continues her horrendous starring. Edward was quite the looker after all, although currently he was scribbling down notes with a cup of coffee in one hand. The black haired girl had walked in without saying a word and had taken a seat only to stare at him.

Quite frankly it was getting to be a little creepy.

"You know," Linuette finally speaks. "For being a famous alchemist you're boring. I was hoping that you'd provide me some entertainment while I was for Zackary to return." He was out shopping with his mother. It was cute the way he got all flustered when his mother talked him into going.

"Well excuse me. You're such a brat, why Zack puts up with you I'll never understand." He grumbles into his coffee not once looking up from his work.

"I'm not a brat. Or at least not anymore. If you had called me a brat a few weeks ago then I would have agreed with you."

_There she goes again…_"You expect me to believe that you've matured in a mere few days? Hell no."

"I never said I'm mature, in fact I'm far from that. The word I would use now is," Her pause makes him turn to look at her. He was honestly curious as to what she'd say next. "Selfish. I'm selfish."

"Everyone is selfish. Sorry to break it to you but you're not all that special."

"True, but I was a brat because I was oblivious to my selfishness."

"Oh jeez! You annoy the hell out of me and it's _not_ because you're that bastard's daughter," Edward stands up from his chair, raising his arms high for a stretch that sends him grimacing. With a metal finger he points directly at her. "You're not perfect. You will _never_ be perfect, so shut the hell up and get your act together. I'm-"

"I'm in love with your son," Linuette stands up as well. Besides Andromira, Edward is the only other person she's told. Perhaps she just really wanted to tell someone. "He's reason enough to strive for perfection."

"That's nice," She closes her eyes as a hand comes down upon her small, almost doll like head. It's warm and for a moment she wonders if it's Zack's hand. A part of her wishes that it is. "B-But I'm sure he's just fine with you being you."

"He deserves-"

"Whatever makes him happy. You're so thick headed! It makes me want to knock some sense into you." _She's his child alright._

_That's hilarious coming from him!_ "Mean-"

"I'm coming in." The door swings open, Zackary actually looks a bit worn out as he walks in with hands in his pockets.

"Welcome home-"

"Zack! Your father is picking on me! He's such a jerk-"

"Why you little brat!"

"Little?" Linuette smirks. "I bet you know all about that-"

"GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HOUSE YOU MUSTANG WITCH!" She's already backing up, planning her escape route just in case.

"Catch."

Perhaps it was instinct that allowed her to catch the incoming projectile. "Apple?"

"Eat it. Mom said they looked good…I figured that you'd enjoy one. We have a few more downstairs if you like them."

"Are they sweet?"

"I made sure."

Some might find it a bit odd having gone from shouting to eating something as simple as sweet apples, but that was the thing with Zack and his family. It was normal and Linuette liked it.

"Thank you." With a smile she takes a bite out of the promised sweet apple. A noise of appreciation escapes her as the juice runs down her chin.

"Must you always make a mess?" He dabs at her chin with a handkerchief.

"Must you always complain?" She grabs his hand and directs it to the corners of her mouth and eventually across her lips.

Just a few feet away Edward watches with a smirk on his face, arms crossed.

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**For anyone who is curious I own last years Sony Vaio!**

**Anyhoo have a nice day and...DOUBLE UPDATE!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own FMA**

**DOUBLE UPDATE**

**Holy cow XD I'm joking. It's just I had a lot of time at the hotel when I wasnt swimming.**

**So here it's a short one but...**

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**Chapter 15: Fly**

"You know…when I was a little girl my only dream was to fly. That's all I've ever wanted…an easy way out of here." She's walking along the fencing of the nearby orchid. Her arms are out, stretched like wings…or perhaps she's just trying not to fall. Zack really couldn't tell. "Oh birds how I envy you and your glorious wings!"

"You always seem to be enjoying yourself. Why would you want to leave all this?" He's walking alongside her just in case she takes a fall. Her footing is surprisingly good for…well, being Linuette. _Why would you want to leave…_

"Enjoying myself? The only things I enjoy are you, my piano, and my bed." She retorts. Her nose wrinkles in almost a cute manner. "If you look at me from face value I'm rather boring."

He never thought that he'd ever hear that from her. If he had to pick a word to describe her it sure the hell wouldn't be boring. "Then change yourself." Was all he could think of to say.

"And that's why I want wings." She bites down on her bottom lip as in in thought. With a deep breath she takes off on a run. Her feet work frantically to keep herself a loft, arms outstretched. Trying to fly.

As he watches her run, his heart starts to pound. He can't quite pin it and almost feels like he can until she wobbles just a bit, he takes a step forward wanting to catch her and yet knowing that he wouldn't be able to.

At the last second she catches herself and doesn't hesitate to start running again. To anyone it looked like she was running away from him and that's exactly how he felt. So he doesn't hesitate to take off after her kicking up the sweet smell of wet grass as he goes. He wanted to catch her, to be there for her.

To help her fly.

"Linuette! Linuette! I love…I love you!" It came with deep breaths and hopeful shouts, he didn't have to wait long to find out if she had heard him or not.

Her footing slips immediately, her wings break to prevent herself from falling but it doesn't matter. Zack catches her. They tumble to the grassy ground with Zack on his back and her being clutched to his heaving chest.

"W-What?" Linuette flusters. She pushes against his hold, her eyes searching frantically for the answers that she didn't even know she sought.

Not the reaction he was praying for. "I'm going to be your wings. I want to be here to help you no matter what whether it's to soar or to catch you when you fall-"

"No, no, no! You cannot be my wings! You're my legs…your there to support me no matter what, to drag me back down to Earth." Linuette sputters. So many thoughts were racing through her lovely head at the same time they raced across her heart shaped face. "Or perhaps you're my arms. To catch me and to pull me back…no Zack you're something else…you're just Zack!"

She didn't have a word to express Zack. He's always been Zack and yet something else. Someone else, someone that she can trust and whisper her darkest secrets to. The one person who doesn't look at her weird when she states that she wants to try every flavor of ice cream.

Someone that she loves but refuses to tell.

Someone that she can tell now but for some reason decides to hesitate.

"You smell good." She remarks finally giving up on her attempts to get away.

_Figures that she'd say something like that in a time like this. At least she knows now…doesn't she? I said it right out._ "Linuette-"

"Shhhh…let's just lay like this for a while okay? We'll talk later." With a little effort she readjusts herself so that her face is in the side of his neck. With each breath she takes, shivers go down his neck, shivers that make her smile.

"…" Just having her so close was more than enough for him. The slim figure of her, the softness of her hair, and the softness from her whole. How he had come to love her was more than obvious, when was a bit hazy. Perhaps it was all the way back from day one. Or perhaps it was when she played the piano at that bar she loves.

It didn't matter anymore. All that matters is that fact that she is right here snuggled close.

She'll never fly away for he wasn't about to let her.

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**...I think it's a lovely chapter! **


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own fma**

**I'm nearly done with Andromira -_-" he drives me nuts**

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**Chapter 16: That Day**

"For a girl who likes playing the piano, I've hardly seen you play it since I've met you." When he had first started out he would find her asleep with her head resting gently on the keys. He used to take time out of his day to explore her home just in case she started to try and use different escape routes. To him, her talent was beautiful.

So it was odd to see her play. She hasn't done it in a while, too busy running away from Andromira, too busy not acting like herself.

"Your right…I guess I'm just in a really good mood. Besides we have a little bit before we're supposed to meet Silas."

"You're in a good mood," His hands cover her eyes. Despite this she keeps playing, her skillful hands never missing a note. "Will you tell me why?"

"Why raise your ego? Yesterday…I had such a wonderful day yesterday. I felt like my eyes had been closed for so long and yet now they're open and it feels nice." When she had got home yesterday, as she had lain in her bed she felt unbelievably stupid. Unbelievably oblivious. There were so many signs and yet she felt like she was blind. She had to have to have been blind to not have noticed. To not have seen how much he cares. "So nice…"

"You stopped playing."

"Have I? Did you know that I met Andromira right here? In this very room. I was never sure how or why he ended up in here…he just did and he saw me playing. I hate him and I certainly didn't want him to hear me play."

Of course she has to bring up _him_ in such a lovely moment. "I don't really want to talk about him, not right now."

"Really? You've asked me quite a few times about that _day_. I was sure that you were curious about it. Whatever-"

"Oh…as long as you don't mind." He hadn't been sure. On their walk home he felt like nothing had changed at all. She joked and spun around to walk backwards talking about some pie she had tried the other day. Nothing had changed.

Apparently he was wrong. Before, she wouldn't even attempt to talk about that day, but now she seemed at least willing to try.

"I've never heard playing more beautiful...nor seen a pianist. You must be Linuette."

She had ignored him. Even though she did this, she knew that he wouldn't merely just go away. It wasn't possible.

Downstairs her father's party continued, while upstairs she had escaped. Even if she hardly left the house she wasn't that keen on people. Especially those who suck up to her father in hopes of gaining favor. After all he was the Fuhrer.

Something she was reminded of each and every day. There was to be no forgetting.

"I've heard so much about you. The elusive only child of our King," Andromira stepped forward. Her playing didn't stop. Being ignored has never been his pleasure. "But I'm sure that you get that a lot. Why aren't you downstairs enjoying yourself?"

Making appearances is what he means.

"I'm sure that your father would love to show you off."

He would, she knew that. He's tried on many occasions to introduce her to many of his 'close' friends. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. The basic logic that he lives by.

"In a way though, this works in my favor. I'd much rather have you to myself, a chance to get to know you-" And that's where he had made his mistake. If he would have just looked from afar instead of laying a hand on her should then she would have never had to have anything else to do with him.

_Snap._

A simple sound. One that caused so much damage. The fire raged, flying out from her fingertips and circling once around the room in its glory. Scorching, it engulfed the oxygen only fueling its rage. Too bad it couldn't burn tile and cement. It did however pack a heat never felt before by Andromira.

"Do not touch me!" Linuette stood up, turning to face Andromira. To anyone else she looked like a raging beauty.

To him though he saw something raw and something untouched and he wanted it. He wanted to tame her and to take her in.

To capture her.

So he started to visit her, weekly sometimes even daily. He would visit and just watch her do whatever it was she was up to. A lot of the times she would just ignore him, choosing to read a book or sleep instead of enjoying his company. Sometimes it irritated him, but most of the time he found her to be amusing. The way that she would stick her nose up to his company was cute.

She would go out of her way to ruin his time with her and yet each and every time she tried he found himself liking her even more. She was wonderful.

So he asked her father, who seemed pleased to make the match.

"Don't come near me!" She had shouted when her father and Andromira told her the news. "I don't want anything to do with either one of you! Never!"

It was all going exactly as planned. She would become someone to cherish, ripen and finally be his for the taking.

That is until _he_ showed up.

Zackary Elric.

He had dismissed him as yet another baby sitter. Andromira had never expected him to last more than a month.

Except he did. In fact he lasted way longer and then she started getting that spark in her eyes and it annoyed him.

_What's so special about him? I only want what's best for her!_

It irritated him.

She had lost that feral look to her, that captivating and violent face.

But Linuette never knew any of this.

She thought that he was just another gold digger, someone looking for a way to climb the ladder.

"I hate him. I'm glad that I'm almost completely done with him. I'll make sure of it."

"And then what? What will you do once that's done?"

"What?" For a second she didn't have an answer. Something rare. "My career. I want to succeed in that and then I don't really know. I just want to do whatever it takes you know? To be happy and have something to fall back on I guess."

"You guess? So you're not already happy and you're not already successful?"

"You're being really persistent today. I've been good! I already got all of my studying done for the day so I don't understand why your being like this!" She pouts. It wasn't unlike him to question her but this was borderline…unreasonable. Or at least to her it is.

"What am I being like?" He can't help but smile. Whenever she pouts it's never for a really good reason.

"Like…" Her hands move on their own, waving about as she tries to explain herself. She's coming up short though. "Like I don't know…like that! That thing…like this…this thing. This thing that we have… it feels like you want something and yet I can't quite figure it out! I mean you never want anything and I'm embarrassed…and talking out loud instead of thinking."

"The face your making is really cute…that's all."

"Is it? I can't see anything."

"You wouldn't be able to see your face."

"Yeah but I'd be able to see yours." She turns her body so that she was facing him. A smile has come upon her face. "Staying normal sucks. This is much more exciting."

"Is it?"

"It is." When his nose touches hers, her insides burn like the fires she threatens to start. It's such a wonderful feeling that it floods up to her cheeks. "Don't you think?"

"I think that you're exciting and that you're playing is almost as beautiful as you are." It was cheesy and yet awfully sweet. Something that had just popped out of his mouth, unplanned and he certainly hadn't prepared for her to whip around and slam her fingers into the keys making such an awful sound that he wanted to cover his ears.

"St-Stop doing that! That thing…I can't think when you do it." Was her only explanation as she slams her fingers into the keys. It almost sounds human as the slamming slowly turns into the beautiful melodies that he had complimented her on.

"Should I back up?" Zack ask, his hands hanging coldly by his hips. "I wouldn't want to get barbecued…"

"…"

More playing.

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**I hope you loved it! Read and review~**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own FMA**

**This is quite possibly my favorite chapter ^^ I hope that you love it as much as I do**

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**Chapter 17: Surprises**

"You really shouldn't be up and about." Zack says as he personally gets up to help his pregnant mother. Every time he sees her he swears that she's gained weight and quite frankly he didn't want to be the one to tell her this. Especially not when she has a hot serving bowl in her hands.

"Nonsense. What kind of mother would I be if I couldn't even make my son dinner?"

"A beautiful and hardworking one who clearly deserves a break. Father!"

As if Edward was going to try and stop Winry from doing as she pleased. Fat chance. He had already tried and has his fair share of lumps on his head from the results.

"You did this to me!" She would declare when he sighed.

His response would be to point at her stomach and declare "I believe it takes two to create that!"

That would always end that.

Zack was here due to the fact that Linuette had insisted that he went to have dinner at his house. After promising to behave and to study, he had reluctantly left her but not without a long lingering look that ended with her nearly slamming the door in embarrassment. It was a lovely sight honestly.

"You're leaving so soon." Zack tells Silas as they finish setting the table, all heavy pots and pans in place with Winry sitting in her seat complaining rather loudly that she should be able to do this. They waved her off telling her that she works hard enough.

"Tell him! Tell him that he needs to stay." Winry sighs.

Zack shrugs. "You need to stay…apparently."

With a roll of her eyes Winry shuts up while Silas chuckles. He wasn't ready to leave, but it was what he needed to do. He wanted to get home and start selling his pieces while day dreaming. "I know but…it's for the best. I'll be back before you can miss me!"

"I already miss you." Winry insists.

Edward looks to Silas who's trying not wave her off. "Don't worry about it!"

Dinner starts with Winry glaring/pouting at Silas who keeps complimenting her cooking in high hopes of getting her to drop it. Edward keeps quiet on the subject while Zack cuts his steak with little to no enthusiasm.

"How's work?" Winry tries.

Edward snorts. "We just got rid of his work!"

"She's been in a good mood lately." Zack smirks. His father has made his displeasure with Linuette known. Way too loudly.

Winry's eyebrows go up. "Any reason why?"

"She smashed a few watermelons."

"Huh…"

"That girl has issues." Edward states bluntly.

"Be nice!" Winry tells him. She loves him but sometimes his comments can hurt. "She's a nice girl and there's no reason for you to be nasty-"

"She called me short! I'm not short…not anymore at least."

"Exactly. So it shouldn't bother you anymore!"

"It does and everyone knows it! Jerks! In fact I'm taller then her."

"Yeah, yeah." It's a monotone agreement that Edward hasn't got a choice except to accept. In a way he was still a bit annoyed but honestly there wasn't much he could do about it.

Zackary couldn't remember eating with his parents. Had it always been like this? He used to read quite a bit while here.

Studying. It had been his biggest key to succession. Even if his father is Edward it didn't mean that Edward was going to spoon feed him alchemy. In fact it was the exact opposite. While he had encouraged his son to study alchemy it was all Zack's choice if he really wanted to do it or not. Of course he had wanted to.

He didn't see a reason to not.

Thinking back on it he realizes now that he's never really done anything. The night before he had raked his brain in hopes of finding that one moment that he's perhaps seen Linuette aside the day he officially met her.

He couldn't find a single memory before then.

Which would make sense since she never left the house-

"Zack!" It was her voice that brought him back from his rather boring memories. At first he thought he must have imagined it. Spending a few hours away from Linuette wasn't pleasant but could be done even if he didn't like it.

Hearing her voice was like a violin player just walking in and beginning to play. It was just a refreshing and fresh sound that it made him smile just hearing her call his name.

Seeing her was something else.

She was breathing hard which gave him a dreadful feeling that she had ran here. He prayed that she had merely just run from the car to the house and eventually in here.

"Great." Edward sighs.

"Linuette." Silas greets.

Her eyes barely flicker to the two, for right now she only wants to see Zack. It's some sort of odd desperation. "Zack! I'm sorry…I've got it! I've figured it out! About yesterday…about that thing! God I'm stupid…"

"No you're not. Mind explaining why you told me to go have dinner with my parents only to run here and throw yourself in?" In a way he was impressed, he honestly hadn't expected her to show up for once. She was pretty persistent this morning. Of course he's thrilled that she's here.

"To tell you that I love you duh!" She gives him that look that makes him feel extremely stupid. Like he should have known that's the only reason why should would hurry all the way here, interrupt his meal, and come in heaving looking like an unkempt puppy. "That's what you wanted to hear wasn't it? That's what I wanted to say! I can't believe I didn't pick up on that…I love you, I just do. I know that I'm usually great with words but maybe I can't explain it in some way that sounds sweet and whatnot."

With one last sigh she allows her posture to slump. The reality of the situation is clearly dawning upon her. The table is starring at her. It's clear that she thought they were the only two in the room. Perhaps even the only two in the world.

The breaking of the silence is with this lovely growling sound irrupting from her stomach.

"We have…room for one more sweetie." Winry points to the chair across from Zack's.

"I couldn-"

"Sit down." Edward is actually smiling. He can't help it. The scene before him is one of the most ridicules scenes laid before him.

"Zackary if you would…"

"Of course." Zack gets up immediately to go and grab Linuette a plate and a cup for juice. Seeming as how wine disgusts her. "I'm glad you're here."

"I'm not and I am. In one hand I've just ruined your dinner meant to be spent with your family," Linuette sighs. "On the other hand I've just slashed open my stomach and spilled my guts for you. It both irritates me and makes me smile at the same time."

"Don't apologize." He smirks when she opens her mouth once more. Linuette barely ever said 'I'm sorry' but he figured that if she was to then it'd be right now. After all she was quite persistent on him spending time with his family. No matter how many times he's stated that they're just fine on their own.

Even if this is true it was only an excuse to stay home with her.

The silence that follows them is only a reminder of what had just happened. It wasn't a very pleasant silence in fact it was the exact opposite.

And it was really irritating two people in the room.

It was Edward who broke first. He slams his hands upon getting up, pointing his metal finger at Linuette. "Who does that?!"

"Does what?" She dares him.

"Can't you be a bit I don't know…more normal? No you can't. Why do I even bother asking you that?"

"Clearly because you like wasting my oxygen!"

"This is _my_ house and so I own this damn air!"

"Who does that?"

"Does what?" His left eye twitches in anticipation.

She doesn't disappoint, setting a mocking tone to her charming voice. "Claims to own air?! Can't you be I don't know…a bit smarter? No you can't! How I adore answering my own damn questions!"

"Language." Both Silas and Zack care to put in.

"We were in the middle of dinner. You couldn't have waited I don't know, ten minutes?"

"Who cares when I say it? I'll say it when I want wherever I want and however I want. I love you I love you and I love you…wait not you!" Her nose wrinkles. She herself can't believe her own words! "I love Zack! Zack is the one I love…not some short temperamental alche-"

"DON'T START-"

The first time Linuette had seen this she had left her mouth open.

The second time she made sure she was wearing a victorious smile.

"Will you sit down and enjoy your meal already? I mean honestly Edward if you can't get along with Linuette then keep your mouth shut."

"Yes ma'am." He groans.

This time the wrench disappears into her shirt.

"Let's just sit down and enjoy each other's company. After all we do have family and a guest over." Winry tries. She seems completely normal considering what had just happened only moments ago. Silas and Edward were the only two wiggling about in their seats; it was an obvious one as to why Edward was squirming.

Zack however hadn't paid any attention to the conundrum that the table had just witnessed. To say that his brain was fried would be a major understatement. In seconds Linuette had taken his brain and burned it to the point where the wind was slowly blowing away its ashes. At this point he had thought he knew her extremely well and yet that's the way she is.

She's full of surprises.

He wondered if he'd ever figure her out.

When he looks up at her to meet her eyes and she smiles, he figures that he doesn't need to figure her out.

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**Read and review! See you next week!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own FMA**

**Sorry it's late ^^**

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**Chapter 18: The Taste of Coffee**

"Yeah…fishing," Linuette lets out a long and rather large yawn. "It's boring…bro."

"Don't start." Zack smirks. He can't help but smile at how ridicules this whole thing really is. It was her idea in the first place, this morning she had practically dragged him off his chair to get him to go fishing with her. Now here they were, half an hour into it and she was already yawning and hinting at wanting to go home or eat or something.

"Men are supposed to like this right? Come on we're getting in touch with that manly soul of yours…or whatever. I mean the only thing you seem to like to do is read," Linuette lets off yet another long extremely exaggerated yawn. "You can use alchemy but you don't."

"So can you."

"True but my alchemy is specifically used to barbecue the crap out of people! It's not useful for anything else…unless you want lots and lots of forest fires."

"You could cook the fish we catch."

"You mean the fish that we'll never catch because they obviously don't like the pointy hook on the end of our line? Right sounds good." Apparently a wiggly worm didn't seem to suit their pallet. Not that she could blame them on that one.

"I get it your bored," Zack shrugs. "Shall I point out that this was your idea in the first place? What would you like to do instead?" Not that he was having a grand time catching fish himself.

"Nap! Let's nap!" She tosses her pole aside and side tackles him with the force of a small dog. He humors her and to be fair he was a bit caught off guard. The grass smells sweet from the morning sun that's making its way high in the sky.

"Nap?"

"Yeah…you know one of those things that you take when you're tired but aren't quite ready for bed yet? I'm tired and I personally think that only slightly insane people would get up to fish this early in the morning. It doesn't make any sense to me," She snuggles up closer to nuzzle her nose into the side of his neck. It seemed funny to her how natural this felt. "Besides don't you want to take a nap with me? The sun is nearly out and the idea of a warm nap with you….just sounds appealing you know?"

"Yeah…I do." The idea of napping with her sounded wonderful to him but to be honest he didn't think he'd get much sleep. Not with her this close. Having her nose in his neck and hand on his stomach already made him want to keep his eyes open to watch over her. She smelled like the wet grass around them along with that special scent. _She feels so much smaller then I imagined…almost frail to me. It's unnerving to think someone like her can be described as frail._

But that is exactly how she is. She may put up a defiant air around her but she wasn't fooling him any longer. There was only so much she could smash down, only so much that she could cover up. Whenever she would let it all out her words would send chills down his spine. It made him almost afraid of what she might do next.

He really wanted to deal with Andromira and his threats.

No matter how she felt he knew that Andromira is still a problem, one that can be easily solved if her father would only comply. Whether or not he will is another story.

"Linuette…" Zack whispers. She doesn't even stir which worries him just slightly. Perhaps saying her name wasn't enough but in a way he wishes that it is, but then again if it was then there would be no need for him anyway.

So he wraps his arms around her figure to cradle her to him and protect her from the world. From anyone who dares to think of doing harm to her.

His beloved Linuette.

"Fishing was a bummer but I have a feeling you'll like this."

"Back at the river again…" She moans. From their nap they had gone into town to do some window shopping. She used to tease all the time about spending his pay check but in all honesty she wasn't that keen on the idea of spending much cash at all. "Are you trying to tell me that night fishing is a lot more exciting than day fishing? Sorry to burst your bubble but fishing…"

Fishing is like standing in line for something you really want to see.

"Sit down and wait."

"I'm pretty sure in order to fish you have…to…be by…the river…" Lights. Little lights were lifting off the water, slowly but surely. Like tiny stars in the sky the lights were coming up from everywhere. "W-What…fireflies!"

"Exactly. You said that you wanted to try and catch fireflies."

He had barely finished his sentence when she was off, her arms in the air racing amongst the riverbed in all its lit up glory. "Don't fall in-"

"It's so beautiful Zack! I can't believe that it looks so different with just a few twinkling lights! Hard to believe that they're bugs…" Thrilled, she was like the child in the candy store. They really are bugs just floating and occasionally lighting their backsides up.

And she loved it.

"Neat huh?"

"Neat?" She turns around to face him. "Neat doesn't even begin to describe this!"

"You've really never seen fireflies before have you?"

"Only in my text books."

It was almost sad the way she said that. The sadness disappeared instantly though when she holds out her palms and catches a few flies. They light up and he couldn't decide what was shining brighter, her smile or the sparkling lights.

"Linuette."

Warm, gentle, and tasting very much like the coffee he had recently drunk. She wonders what she tastes like as the lights twist around them. Like the apple pie she ate? Or perhaps the tea she drank. Maybe a mixture of both.

When she wraps her arms around his neck he does the very thing that makes her lips smile against his, he picks her up around the waist and lets the world fly.

"If you call that neat I'm going to have to hurt you."

"I liked it more than light up bugs." His thumb grazes her bottom lip.

"Did you?"

"Although I must admit that they make a lovely backdrop for the main attraction."

"You're cheesy…who knew that you can be such a romantic? I would have never guessed Zack…" Hearing him say something like that made her toes curl in embarrassment. She wanted to bury her face in his shirt just so that he couldn't see how red it is.

Zack shrugs. "I'm no storybook prince but I at least pray I'm better than my father." Just remembering the stories his mother told made him want to laugh aloud. He couldn't believe that his father had said that to her. Perhaps it would work on someone like Linuette but it could backfire with her raging about alchemy.

"Your both quite the lookers I admit," Linuette teases. "But I wouldn't count your father out when it comes to words…he said a few things that really got to me. Not just anyone can do that, considering how thick headed I can be!"

"You're admitting it?" He raises an eyebrow.

Her nose wrinkles. "It leaves a bad taste in my mouth but yes. Don't you dare repeat it!"

"Cant I?"

"No you can't," She smiles. "You may get special privileges but that doesn't mean-"

"Special privileges? This is the first time I've heard of that!" He couldn't help it. He starts laughing which makes her think he's not taking her seriously.

Which of course is never good with Linuette. "Haven't you noticed? I'm offended that you haven't! You had to have noticed…when have I ever allowed anyone to sleep in the same room as me? When I have ever allowed anyone to touch me freely? Or give me piggybacks? Or how about twirl me around and kiss me?"

"And now that you have?"

"I'm enjoying myself naturally and I plan to keep enjoying myself as long as moments like these keep happening," Her eyes go back to the little light up bugs that float about not understanding nor caring about what's going on beneath them. "It makes disobeying my father so much more worth it. I've got to get that done…I'm sick of waiting and I'm sick of thinking about Andromira-"

"Then stop. Stop thinking about him and think about me." _Jealousy…so that's what this is._ All those times that he's felt this pang. The rash actions and the thoughts whenever Andromira would show himself. "Think…think about us…"

"I-I've been doing that a lot lately." A lot more than she was going to tell him! It was weird to her, they were just fine before. Before she had proclaimed her love to him. In a way she liked the change but in some ways she didn't. Like right now, she felt like she could hardly piece together an intelligent sentence. "And that's why tomorrow I'm going to take care of this."

"I'll talk to your father."

"And I'll handle Andromira." It sounded like the exact opposite of what she should be doing. There were many ways to _deal_ with that man but dealing with her father seemed more like her job. Perhaps Zack felt somewhat obligated to do it for her.

It's things like _that_ that makes her feel so lucky.

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**Read and review :3**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own FMA**

**Hey guys! Here's your lovely update, as much as I love this story I think it's almost time to wrap things up. I believe three or four chapter will do the job ^^**

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**Chapter 19: A Pawn In the Game That Is Reality**

"It's rare for you to come and visit me…what's the occasion?" He's at his desk scribbling away, his eyes shifting back and forth from his study book to his hand.

Linuette taps her foot impatiently. She doesn't like the fact that his eyes aren't on her when she's trying to bring the world crashing down upon him. "Rare? I don't _ever_ remember coming to visit you."

"Details Linuette," He waves her off. Mistake number two naturally. "I'm busy but I can see to you after my studying. Wait for me in the-"

Blaze.

It was already a hot day that day but the added heat from her fingertips alighting the room wasn't making it any better. The fire whips around her like a snake waiting to be strike.

Andromira is grateful for the tile floor he had installed. "You want my attention? Fine. What?"

"How? How did you even think for a split second that this could ever work? This thing that you've created?" The way that he treats her now is the exact opposite of how she wants to be treated, and he's done this the entire time she's known him. Being treated as number two instead of someone worthy of his time, for him she wasn't willing to play along. "You made me hate you."

"Made you? Linuette I gave you a future! I gave you that push that would set everything in motion!" His tone raises just enough for her to take his words and actually think about them.

"Yes. You gave me something to pass my time with. I've never loved you and I never will. You couldn't have done this normally? I mean think about it! You could have come to see me and talk to me instead of talking to my father. It takes time, these things do-"

"Not with you. Do you even realize who you are? You're our King's daughter! That alone makes people flock to you, just your social standing. I couldn't wait or else someone else would have done the exact same thing as I did. It's about your standing and it's about us. I highly doubt that your Prince Charming would have been able to get this close to you if it wasn't for me and for your father."

In a way he was making some sense to her. Not that she was going to let him know that. "If we would have met, somehow, someway I'm sure that he would have said something to keep me going back. You messed up and you kept messing up-"

"And if Zackary would have done what I did?"

"Then he would be the one sitting in that desk having this conversation with me. Listen up and listen good. I am Linuette Mustang and there is no one in this world who is going to make me do something I don't want to do. You can arrange it, you can tell me what to do, and you can jerk me around but that will _never_ stop me from smashing it to total pieces!"

She wants him to know. To know that from now on the world will remain split into two with them each on a different side of it. There will be no more of this dancing around each other, no more meetings filled with soulless glares. She was done with all of it, now she wants to start her life with Zack. To get her plan rolling.

He would be the very first domino and she was about ready to kick him down.

"I think I'm done here. Even you should have gotten the point after all that," Linuette turns on her flats. "And even if you don't I'll be waiting with my bat."

There really wasn't else he could do except watch her walk out with her boy short hair ruffling at her shoulders. It was almost saddening watching her leave and yet a part of him always figured that she would leave him. He had poured what he could into her in high hopes of coming out on top and yet he lost to some stranger who swooped in with everything he doesn't have.

Chaos and a sense of mystery.

Zackary Elric walks to his own beat. He chooses where to go and how to do so.

Andromira walks to the beat that everyone wants to hear. The one that everyone else is walking to. He's predictable and completely on the charts.

Linuette creates the beats. She uses her beautiful hands to string together notes that no one has ever heard of before. Stringing up hearts as she does so.

And then leaving them out to hang.

"Ah Zackary. It's good to see you…I expect that you've been keeping my little girl in check? After all you haven't been reporting to me as often as you used to. Perhaps she's finally ready," Mustang chuckles in disbelief. He knew his daughter well. "I was surprised when she came to see me the other day claiming to want to join the military. She threw Andromira to the side waving her hands around…it was quite a sight!"

"I'm sure it was sir," Zack straightens his posture. "If I may sir…I have a few things to report."

"Please go right ahead! By all means, things are finally looking up." Mustang actually leans back in his seat, kicking his feet up onto the desk like he used to.

"About Linuette. Right now she's out she's visiting Andromira-"

"That boy! He works so hard and he makes me proud. Truly…"

_His eyes…why do I feel like he's trying to intimidate me? Like he wants me to get angry with him…it doesn't make much sense._ "Sir, your daughter. I l-"

"I've heard a lot about you; before you took the exam that is. It wasn't just your parents who spoke highly of you, so I took it upon myself to see for myself. What I saw back then was the very shadow of his father, that's why I choose you."

"I don't understand sir…"

"I knew from the way you hold yourself that you'd be able to withstand Linuette's barrage of…whatever you want to call it. You're devoted, well studied, and live up to your name. She'd be captivated by you," Mustang has his little half smile on now as he peers at Zack. "Compared to Andromira your perfect. She'd strive to get away from Andromira all the while trying to get closer to you."

"But then again Linuette is highly unpredictable. I had to keep pressuring her to make her realize how much you mean to her. She's a wild card thrown into play."

"I know that she hates him. I've known that since day one but I haven't really cared. Whether she's successful or not is of no concern to me but I knew that even back then that she's stubborn. Besides you were off studying and I hadn't had the time nor the resources to introduce the two of you. So I needed time but before that…"

"I needed a backup plan. Something that would guarantee her a future. Andromira was as good of a choice as any. He's smart, handsome, and has an excellent head on his shoulders. The people loved him and as soon as he laid eyes on Linuette I knew that he wanted her. A father couldn't ask for a better partner," Mustang laces his fingers together his eyes still starring deeply into Zack's. Zack didn't have a clue as to what Mustang wants from him, he didn't know what to do except continue to stare. "Except there's Linuette…"

"Everyone who's met her knows that she's completely unpredictable. I figured that she wouldn't play the part that she was intended to. I just never figured that she would rebel as much as she has. Honestly she set fires off in the house! I knew that she would grow to hate me, that she would despise me for forcing this upon her," Finally, Mustang gets up. He doesn't do anything except stand and lean forward his hands resting on the desk as he assesses Zack. "I wanted her to. I wanted her to rebel against me to do anything to get her way…and then you came along and everything fell into place."

"…"

"Granted it didn't fall as smoothly as I thought it would. I knew that it would take time, as all great plans do. She would learn to like you…this personality that is so different from the one she's stuck with. Someone who seems as free as the wind and yet is willing to stay trapped inside a little bottle with her. She grew to love you and yet there were consequences."

"When you gave me that report…I wanted to stop. I didn't want her to leave ever again, I wanted her where she'll be safe and yet it was you who protected her. It couldn't have worked out better! Yet I was already regretting my plan…until I saw the way she reacts around you. It was clear as day that she couldn't be happier. You're someone willing to spend time with her. Someone willing to protect her and I'm willing to bet that you would do it even if I hadn't hired you."

It was odd, understanding it. With each and every word that passed from Mustang's lips, Zack didn't know if he wanted to leap at him or just stand there and look stupid. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to be grateful to his leader or commit treason.

Here he was telling Zack that this entire charade had been his idea all along. That Zack was here because Mustang had wanted him to be. He had wanted Zack to be the one to pull Linuette out of this abyss, this house.

"Take care of my little girl…you will do that won't you?"

"Of course I will."

"I'm asking you as her father," Mustang's eyes narrow. It's his final test. "Not as the Fuhrer."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Deciding that it was best to leave things be, Zack plays along. He didn't care if this was all planned because it didn't feel planned. It felt raw and it felt real, just being with Linuette everyday felt like something they were creating together. Not some role they were playing in Mustang's game.

As if Linuette would ever let herself be considered a 'pawn'.

So for now, Zack would allow Mustang to think whatever he wants.

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**I love how spell check says that ZACK and LINUETTE are not words, they aren't. They're name. Zack is a fairly common name though...**

**Anyways! Read and review guys!**


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